Of Gods and Butterflies
by carcassi
Summary: A retelling of the classic Roman tale of Cupid and Psyche, with a SV twist. Chlark, and of course AU. CONCLUSION now posted. Have a great weekend, guys, and thanks for the wonderful feedback!
1. Prologue

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Prologue**

**Part One**

A long time ago, in a kingdom so ancient even its name has been forgotten, there lived a poor but honest shepherd named Gabriel, a widower, and his two infant daughters, Chloe and Lana. The pastures where he grazed his sheep, near the king's great city of Metropolis, were so rich and plentiful that, though money was scarce, the shepherd managed to keep his little family comfortable.

But one fateful day a curse fell upon the kingdom, raining fire from the sky, despoiling the crops, burning the grasslands, and impoverishing the people. Even King Leo the Crafty had not gone unscathed; his only son Prince Alexander bore the mark of the curse on his hairless brow—no doubt a punishment from the gods, some whispered, for his father's many transgressions. When strange monsters began to attack villages and threaten unsuspecting travelers, even the most skeptical of the king's subjects began to wonder if the kingdom could long survive.

The fire took many of Gabriel's sheep and the king's tax collectors thinned the herd further, leaving his family with enough only for the barest necessities. To make things more difficult, the dwindling supply of free grazing land forced the family to wander further out into the countryside each year.

But even though life had become a struggle, Gabriel felt blessed by his family, and especially took pleasure in his younger child, Chloe, whose curiosity and eagerness to learn were matched only by her sun-filled smile and kind disposition. While her sister spent her days combing her raven-dark hair and observing her beauty in a looking glass, Chloe helped her father tend his few remaining sheep and clambered over barren slopes in search of fresh pasture and new adventure.

The rough outdoor life she led suited her; it reddened her cheeks and brightened her eyes until they resembled the sunlit green of a spring glade. She preferred simple brown homespun skirts to colored woolens, and gladly left to her sister most of their late mother's few pieces of jewelry, except for one: A slender golden bracelet set with small butterflies, which she wore at all times, in memory of her mother.

Over the years both girls grew in grace and loveliness, until at last the day came when Lana, who was Chloe's elder by a year, turned sixteen and asked her father if they might move closer to the king's city. "No one ever comes here," she complained, sweeping her lustrous hair from her shoulder, "How will I find a good husband?"

Gabriel's heart sank at her words, for he dreaded losing his two most precious treasures to any other man. Yet, even worse was the thought that no eligible suitor might be found for them, poor and dowerless as they were. However, he said nothing of this to Lana, managing a reassuring smile and a quick pat on her hand.

"I'd like to see Metropolis, too, Father," Chloe said as she tied bread, cheese and fruit into a bundle for her and her father's lunch in the fields that day. "But not because I need a husband. In a big city like that, I could find out if the strange stories travelers have told us are true. I might even learn how to lift the curse."

Gabriel sighed. "Very well, children. I promise you that one day, as soon as I can find work, we'll go back to Metropolis."

Lana laughed prettily at her sister. "Imagine not wanting a husband! I don't know why you care so much about those silly tales. What good will they ever do you?"

Taking no notice of her sister's indulgent laughter, Chloe slung the bundle over her shoulder and headed outdoors with her father, wishing with all her heart that her dream might come true one day.

**Part Two**

While her father tended the flock, Chloe went exploring as usual, eager to be out in the early May sunshine. Binding her skirts up above her knee so that her sandaled feet could stride freely, she crossed unfamiliar fields, until at last she discovered a narrow trail that led into a densely wooded thicket.

No sooner had she set foot under the eaves of the forest than a faint moaning reached her ears, which seemed to come from somewhere nearby. Afraid of robbers, Chloe hastily seized a fallen tree branch to use as a weapon, but when it was clear she was not being pursued, her curiosity overcame her fear. Holding the bough in both hands like a club, she ventured forward.

Another low groan sounded, and something moved in the shadows at the base of a huge oak tree. She held her breath and crept closer to get a better view.

Sprawled in the underbrush was a dark-haired boy about her own age, grimacing as if in pain. Near his head were scattered several chunks of rock, glittering with a green light that was far too bright to be natural.

Dropping her makeshift club, Chloe ran forward and knelt beside the boy, eyeing him with a mixture of concern and wonder. Very seldom had she met any boys, and never one as handsome as this. Although he wore a plain peasant's tunic like her father's, his features, even twisted in agony, were that of a young god. Only the sickly green cast to his skin looked out of place.

The boy's lips moved, forcing her to lean closer to listen. "The rocks make me sick," he whispered, "Please help me."

Chloe watched in horror as a grotesque spiderweb of dark lines appeared on his arms. More lines crawled up his neck, and he moaned again, this time in a weaker voice. Jumping to her feet, she heaved all the stones as far away as she could and saw, in amazed relief, that the evil pallor was already receding.

"How do you feel?" she asked anxiously.

The youth lay motionless for a moment, chest heaving as he gulped in air, while a healthy flush slowly returned to his cheeks. Finally, apparently completely recovered, he sat up and smiled, meeting her gaze for the first time.

She was amazed to see that his eyes matched the rocks in both color and intensity. In the warm spring sunshine, they were as sparkling, and as hypnotic, as a deep lake on a quiet day. Chloe felt as if she could spend the rest of the morning staring into them.

The boy seemed to feel the same way; he studied her with such frank admiration that she looked away in embarrassment. "Much better, thanks to you."

A tingle went up her bare arms at the warmth in his tone. "What were those rocks?" she asked him, seizing the chance to satisfy her curiosity. "They look like the ones that people say fell from the sky, but I've never seen them glow like that before."

The boy's face closed off so quickly that Chloe was certain that this was a question he would rather not discuss. "My parents always told me to stay away from them. I should have been more careful." He ended the subject with a shrug, and smiled at her again. "My name is Kent."

She returned the smile, putting aside her questions for the moment. "My name is Chloe, daughter of Gabriel, the shepherd."

"Pleased to meet you." A gentle hand reached out to brush a curl from her brow, causing her to jerk back with a startled gasp. The youth tilted his head as if puzzled. "Don't be afraid," he said, withdrawing his hand at once. "I only wondered why your hair is cut short like a boy's." He paused. "It looks beautiful in the sunlight, like spun gold."

"I like short hair," she replied curtly, shocked that this boy's touch should make the blood rush to her cheeks. Eying him warily, she asked, "What are you doing out here? I haven't seen any homes nearby."

His eyes lost their sparkle, and his face darkened. "My adoptive parents were farmers near here, but they are both gone now," he murmured sadly. "The farm was taken to pay the king's taxes." Looking away, his voice lowered almost to a whisper. "My _true_ father has spoken to me. He told me what…..I mean, _who_, I really am, and he wants me to come live with him. That's where I was going when……"

He waved towards the trail, which, Chloe saw, was blocked by a massive tree trunk a few yards further along. The trunk was split cleanly in two, as if it had been hit by lightning.

"….I tripped," he finished.

As Chloe blinked at the shattered tree, he added, quickly, "Over a root."

Chloe wondered how the boy had landed so far away from the tree, but his tale had touched her so deeply that she chose not to press the point. "I hope you don't have far to go," she told him. "The woods at night can be dangerous. There could be outlaws living here. Or even monsters, if you believe the stories."

"Monsters?" The question came sharp and swift. "What monsters?"

His abrupt change in tone took her by surprise. "I thought everyone in the kingdom had heard about the monsters," she replied, peering at him uncertainly. "Some say they were once ordinary people, who were cursed the day the fire fell from the sky."

The boy, she noticed, winced and dropped his head when she mentioned the fire, as if she'd brought up a particularly painful memory, even though Kent couldn't have been much more than a toddler, like herself, when it happened. That was odd, too.

"I don't talk much to strangers," he said, frowning darkly. "My true father tells me that huma…..that is, other people….can't be trusted. Not even my adoptive parents told me the truth."

"But the more people you talk to, the more you learn," Chloe countered, reasonably. "And the more we know, the better we can fight this curse."

When he looked up, Chloe was startled to see something glistening in his eyes that looked suspiciously like tears. "I wish it were that easy."

Chloe frowned, puzzled. "I never said finding out the truth was _easy_," she told him. "But it's important."

The steady, solemn gaze he turned on her was a little unnerving, but she met it unwaveringly. At last, he gave her a thoughtful nod. "My father would agree with that, I think."

Kent sprang to his feet so quickly that she scarcely saw him move. Extending a hand, he pulled her up with surprising ease, and her eyes wandered admiringly over the golden skin of his bare legs and up the length of a well-muscled tunic-clad torso. Kent was at least half a head taller than she, even though they seemed to be about the same age.

She felt her cheeks burning as she lifted her face to meet his gaze. She'd never noticed a boy in quite this way before. Her feelings confused and frightened her, but they were also, strangely, very pleasurable.

A pair of very large, very sad eyes blinked down at her. "I'd better be on my way," he said with a touch of regret in his voice.

"Stay the night with us," Chloe offered impulsively, reluctant to say goodbye so soon. "You'd travel better with a good night's rest."

Before she had time to worry about how Gabriel might react if she brought home a strange boy to sleep over, Kent was already shaking his head. "You don't know what you're asking."

She squared her shoulders and tried to look older than her fifteen years. "Of course I do."

He searched her face. "What if I told you _I_ was a monster?"

For a moment she stood motionless under that intense emerald gaze, thinking of the mysterious glowing rocks and wondering, a little fearfully, why his eyes resembled them so much. Still, she kept her chin lifted, and her voice steady. "Are you going to attack me?"

His eyes widened in obvious horror. "Of course not!"

She exhaled in barely-concealed relief. "Then," she observed tartly, "you're not a monster. It's what you _do_ that matters, not what you are."

The delighted grin that spread across his face at her words dazzled her with its brilliance. "I like you, Chloe-daughter-of-Gabriel. I wish I had met you sooner."

Kent sighed. "But my father is expecting me." His grave expression, as he looked down at her, added years to his age. "Please be careful of these monsters. They sound dangerous."

His concern seemed so sincere that she smiled. "My father says the monsters should be afraid of _me_," she said lightly, "If they exist."

"I think they do," he told her softly. His mouth quirked upward. "Although your father might be right. If I were a monster, _I'd_ be afraid of you—and your quest for the truth."

Chloe told herself that it was silly to think of any boy as "fascinating." That mooning over boys was what Lana did, not her. But staring up at Kent's earnest face, she felt sure that she would never meet anyone else with eyes quite so deep, or a smile quite so captivating. Or a mystery quite so irresistible.

She watched as slowly, almost reluctantly, he turned to leave. At the last minute, almost without thinking, she reached out to touch his arm. "Wait!"

At once he stopped, looking around at her expectantly.

"Will I ever see you again?" she asked, her throat tightening. It was, she told herself, no doubt because she felt sorry for him. After all, he was alone and motherless.

His head tilted slightly at her question, eyes crinkling thoughtfully. "I don't know. I suppose I could ask my father. It would be nice to see you again." He smiled, so obviously pleased at the thought that Chloe felt another blush creep up her cheeks.

"Aren't you even bringing anything from your farm?" she demanded, quick to change the subject. Her gaze took in his outfit, which was far too skimpy to hold any baggage. Or to hide the shapely lines of his body. Chloe felt her blush deepen, and quickly forced her eyes upward.

Kent shrugged. "My father says I don't need anything from my old life."

Chloe's heart broke a little. The thought of Kent leaving his home without so much as a trinket from his mother was too much. Didn't Kent's father _want_ him to remember the people who'd loved him and cared for him?

She knew her family would never understand what she was about to do, but she knew she had to do it. "Take this," she told him, fumbling with the catch of her butterfly bracelet. "In memory of me, and of your old home." She lifted his large palm and dropped the slender chain into its hollow.

Kent stared at her. "I can't take that. It's gold, it must be very valuable."

"Then you'll definitely remember me, won't you?" Chloe grinned, and leaned closer to give him a quick kiss.

The look of dumbfounded amazement on his face was, surprisingly, not silly at all. Grin fading, she met his gaze solemnly. "Now that we have that over," she whispered, "we can be friends."

Kent held her eyes for a long moment. "I'll never forget you." He took a few steps down the path, and paused, turning his head for one last look. "I promise."


	2. Chapter 1

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter One**

As the years passed, Chloe thought often of her friend Kent, while she busied herself helping her father at his work in the fields, and, later, in the king's castle. For Gabriel, true to his word, had moved his family to Metropolis and was now a junior under-assistant groom in the prince's stable of fine horses. The hours were long and the pay poor, but it was, to him, a small price to pay for the knowledge that his daughters would almost certainly find good suitors in the king's household.

And so they did, or so it seemed at first. Lana drew worshipful admirers with every smile she bestowed, and even Chloe, who cared much less about such things, and spent much of her free time in the castle library reading treatises on politics, history, and the kingdom's tragic curse, attracted some ardent sighs, most notably from Justin, who, although his hands were, regrettably, crippled, was the son of the Chief Steward.

Gabriel had been very hopeful for a possible match between Justin and Chloe, but all that changed when his daughter confided in him that Justin bore a curse—or "gift," as Chloe put it—from the mysterious green rocks. Reluctantly, he kept this secret, until the day Justin, to his horror, enchanted an axe and sent it hurling through the air towards his youngest girl, while half the court watched in stunned silence.

What happened next was even more startling. A sudden strong wind rose out of nowhere, whipping past the screaming courtiers, who had scattered in all directions at sight of the flying axe. It whirled around Chloe and Justin in a blur, then disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving no sign except the remnants of a shattered axe and the unconscious figure of Justin lying in the dust—who, though he recovered, suffered grave memory loss. (The Chief Steward had been inconsolable; King Leo and Prince Alexander, less so.)

From that day, Chloe had been hailed by one and all as a powerful enchantress. Her efforts to correct this idea went unnoticed, especially after she also unmasked several of her sister's suitors as shape-shifters, zombies, mind-benders, and other various monsters. Those that tried to attack her found themselves tossed aside by the same mysterious wind that had protected her from Justin. People began to be afraid of her; they whispered after her, and avoided crossing her path.

To Gabriel's dismay, the number of Chloe's admirers dwindled. Only the King's Fool, a friendly but rather silly red-headed youth, dared to pay court to his younger daughter, and though she seemed to enjoy his company, it was clear to Gabriel that she had no real affection for him.

For a while, he tried to take comfort in the fact that Lana was very nearly betrothed to Whitney, who was a brave and handsome soldier in the King's Army. Unfortunately, to the disappointment of Whitney and the shock of everyone else, she had spurned his attention lately, and began spending many of her evenings at the palace, explaining that she was tending to a sick friend.

Gabriel was beside himself. Lana had never been the type to enjoy playing nursemaid, nor could he think of any special friend in the palace who might merit this much concern. Unlike Chloe, she had never shown any interest whatsoever in anything except finding a good husband. Her behavior made no sense.

The former shepherd was not a superstitious man, but when both of his beautiful daughters had entered their twenties with no suitors in sight, he began to wonder if Chloe's interest in these strange creatures had really brought down a curse on his family. With a heavy heart, he resolved on a last resort: He would ask for advice from the king himself.

Once a week, King Leo granted audience to any subjects, noble or simple, who sought counsel, and who were willing to pay a silver coin or two into the king's coffers. It was a high price for poor Gabriel, but the king's advice was usually worth it; he was renowned (although not beloved) for his cunning. Also, both the king and his son, Prince Alexander, were rumored to be intrigued by the strange doings in the kingdom.

The king's own crown was proof that the rumors were probably true. It was set with three magnificent crystals of strange design and shape, the like of which had not been seen before anywhere in the world. Each was marked with different symbols, and each had been discovered by the king's men in various places throughout the kingdom. Once the king had shown them in public, all of his subjects hailed them as a sign that King Leo was favored by the gods. To no one's surprise, King Leo did nothing to discourage this idea.

At the time, Prince Alexander had been too busy dealing with the second of his two traitorous ex-wives to pay much attention to the gems, but there were those who whispered that he was less than pleased by the news. Few, however, dared repeat the whispers; Prince Alexander was not known for mercy, as his two ex-wives, currently imprisoned in remote castles, knew all too well.

Whether the gems were enchanted or not, they were truly remarkable, and Gabriel reasoned that a king clever enough to find such treasures should have some knowledge worth hearing—if he decided to share it.

Therefore, on the day Chloe turned twenty-one, Gabriel covered his stained work tunic with his best cloak and, flanked by his daughters, ascended the gleaming marble steps into the throne room of King Leo with a mixed sense of hope and of foreboding.


	3. Chapter 2

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Two**

For all its magnificence, the great hall left Chloe unimpressed. Examining the gilded columns and intricate mosaics that decorated the walls, she wondered whether any of them had been paid for with the money from her friend Kent's farm, which had been seized for taxes all those years ago.

If so, the price for this hall was far too high. It had cost her a friend that she still missed, even six years later. Wherever he was, she hoped at least that Kent was happy.

Chloe and her family waited their place in line patiently, shuffling across the polished marble floor of the enormous hall with the other laborers, peasants, and minor nobles who had come to present their pleas before the king. Slowly, they approached the elevated dais at the far end, where King Leo, in robes of white and gold, leaned back in a gilded chair inlaid with precious gems, and surveyed them with a frown.

The king's mass of shining auburn curls was bound by a gold band set with the three crystals of which she had heard. Their many facets reflected the bright sunlight streaming through the windows, but, oddly, Chloe noticed that their brilliance did not dim when a cloud hid the sun. It was as if the stones glistened with a light all their own.

Next to him, and slightly behind the chair, stood Prince Alexander, his elegant figure dressed in an amethyst tunic that fell in graceful folds to his knees, where it was trimmed by more gold. In contrast to his father his scalp was not only bare, but unadorned, and he wore no gems. Only the glitter of his eyes caught the light as he glanced down at the ragged family, brow furrowing.

His gaze, Chloe noted, went straight to Lana. Their quick exchange of glances, and the fleeting smile on her sister's face, told Chloe more than she wanted to know about the true identity of the "sick friend" Lana had been visiting at the palace.

Chloe sighed. Lana had always aimed high, but she doubted that the prince's intentions had anything to do with marriage.

The prince leaned to whisper into the king's ear, and as Chloe reached the bottom of the steps to the dais, she caught some of his words. They confirmed her thoughts.

". . . .very pretty girls," Alexander mouthed, darting another sharp look at Lana. "The dark one is spoken for at the moment, but I agree, the blonde is tempting. Once we send the father away, she's yours."

Leo's gaze focused on Chloe, and she felt a chill crawl up her spine at his frank inspection of her. Curiously, though, as she watched, the gleam in his eyes faded, replaced by a look of confusion.

The prince continued to stare at his father, who stared at Chloe. "That's what interests you, isn't it?"

King Leo's frown deepened. "No."

Alexander's eyes narrowed, clearly in disbelief. "What game are you playing, Father?"

Without warning, the gem on the king's forehead blazed into a white fire. The prince stumbled back, shielding his eyes.

As the entire court watched in horrified fascination, the king's expression went blank and his eyes rolled back into his head, leaving only the whites exposed. Some courtiers gasped; others fled the dais, pushing past the guards to make their escape as quickly as possible.

Alexander lowered his arm and froze, as pale as one of the alabaster statues lining the hall, but his eyes were keen as they studied his sightless father. He whirled, pinning the frightened group below him with his knifelike scrutiny. "Explain. Now."

Chloe put a hand on her father's trembling shoulder to steady him as the prince descended the steps to confront him. In the face of Alexander's accusing stare, Gabriel could only shake his head wordlessly, as the crystal's light intensified, filling the hall with a blinding brilliance.

Chloe held a hand over her eyes while she squinted at the king, now a shadowy figure at the center of the white fire. Slowly, he rose, and, in a flat, toneless voice, began to speak. "Chloe, daughter of Gabriel."

Both Chloe and the prince froze. "Yes, your Majesty?" she whispered, wondering who, or what, she was really speaking to.

"You are chosen," the figure intoned, staring sightlessly at a point over her head. The voice was the king's, and yet it wasn't.

Somewhere behind her, Chloe was vaguely aware of Lana and her father drawing in sharp breaths, but she didn't dare look away. Blinking against the bright light, she kept her face tilted upward to the dais. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the prince's gaze was now riveted on her.

"Chosen for what?" he asked, half-mockingly. Chloe turned in time to see him surveying her from head to toe, with an appreciative expression that made the blood rush to her cheeks.

Stiffly, as if unsure how to walk, the king moved down the steps, drawing the prince's gaze back at once to his father. Chloe was almost grateful for the distraction, until she saw the king halt directly in front of her, almost blinding her with the crystal's radiance. Looming over her, he intoned, "My son has chosen you. For his mate."

Even in the glare of the light, Chloe saw the heads of both the prince and Lana jerk up. The prince cleared his throat loudly. "I beg your pardon?"

Chloe looked up at the motionless figure bending over her. "I don't think he means you, your Highness," she murmured doubtfully. In spite of her fear, she fought back a smile as she watched the prince's brow furrow in confusion. She gathered her courage and addressed the king. "Do you, your Majesty?"

The tall, gaunt king stared down at her under the white glow of the crystal. Even though the light hurt her eyes, she met his gaze steadily as he replied, almost dismissively, "My son is far beyond these humans."

Alexander frowned. "Is he a god?"

Chloe, in almost the same moment, asked, "Is he a monster?"

There was a pause. "You may call him either, if you wish."

Chloe gulped.

The cold voice continued. "No human is worthy of him, but he desires companionship." The dreadful blank eyes widened as they fixed on her face. "He desires you."

Alexander's own eyes were gleaming as he stared at Chloe. "Either my father is a better actor than even I suspected, or you are far more interesting than I first thought," he murmured.

Chloe, meanwhile, hardly noticed the prince's words. Feeling Gabriel's ice-cold fingers clutching her shoulder, she faced the king. "Um," she began weakly, then swallowed, and tried again. "I'd rather not, if you don't mind."

"Not even to become a Queen?"

The hall was deathly quiet, and all eyes, including the prince's, were regarding her intently.

"I'm not interested in power," she answered.

The voice almost sounded amused. "Knowledge is power," it replied. "And you have always desired knowledge."

"How do you know that?" she asked, nervously. "Have you been watching me?"

"No," the voice answered, coldly. "But _he_ has." There was a pause. "_He_ has always protected you."

Chloe was about to ask what the king meant, when she realized that she already knew. "The wind from nowhere," she breathed, remembering the mysterious breezes that had rescued her from Justin and so many of Lana's less desirable suitors.

She blushed as she recalled something else about the breezes that she had never told anyone. Each time, just before they disappeared, she'd experienced a strange, but wonderful, sensation: The feel of soft lips brushing against hers. Each time, it happened so quickly that she'd been sure she'd imagined it.

She lifted her hand, pressing her fingers against her mouth. The memory of those lips had haunted her dreams more times than she cared to admit.

A god—or a monster—was in love with her. The idea really ought to have been more terrifying than it was.

But the realization, however pleasant, wasn't enough. "The answer is still 'no,'" she told him, lifting her chin defiantly. "The only power I want is the power to help people."

"Then you are a most unusual human," the remote voice declared.

"I agree." Prince Alexander moved closer, studying Chloe with undisguised fascination, as if he were contemplating a rare piece of art. "So you're the sorceress?" His razor-sharp gaze sliced into her. "Very interesting. You have no idea how long I've wondered about those strange stories."

The prince's attention unsettled her almost as much as the king's. Chloe cleared her throat and addressed the regal figure, which still towered over her, using her most conciliatory tone. "I hope you understand."

"I do see," the sightless king replied, without moving. "And I understand."

After an uncomfortable moment's silence, Chloe gathered her courage. "Good!" She turned to leave. "I'm glad that's cleared up."

"But it changes nothing."

The deep voice reverberated against the marble walls and columns, and the rapid retreat of Chloe and her family was blocked by the sudden appearance of armed guards.

Chloe whirled. "Let us go!"

King Leo was still expressionless. "You are chosen. There is nothing you can do," he intoned, advancing towards her while she pressed her back against the guards' solid walls of shields. Lana screamed.

The prince moved to block his father's path, squinting against the glare as he peered into his father's blank eyes with the air of a theatrical critic. "Come on, Father," he murmured. "What do you really want?" His glance flicked sideways at Chloe. "Trying to impress a future girlfriend?"

The king's face stared back at him stonily. "Do not interfere, or your father will never be released from my control," the voice declared.

The prince's expression darkened. "Whoever or whatever you are, you're a fool," he hissed, no longer bothering to whisper. "You're defying the most powerful kingdom on Earth."

He bent his head to Chloe's ear, lowering his voice until it was barely audible even to her: "Whatever he's after, say no. I'll protect your family."

Chloe looked at him in disbelief. "What if he's telling the truth?" she whispered back, one eye fixed on the king. "I can't let you sacrifice your own father."

Alexander's steel-blue gaze sharpened. "I'm a realist, my dear," he answered, straightening and raising his voice to its normal level. He stared at the motionless figure, which regarded him impassively. "After all, you know what they say about those whom the gods would destroy."

Privately, Chloe thought that the prince's realism had less to do with the gods than it did with his prospects of succeeding to the throne, but, she resisted the urge to share this. Instead, she turned back to the king.

"What if I agree?"

The sightless eyes bored into hers. "The king will be freed, and you will receive knowledge beyond the measure of humans. On one condition."

Chloe sighed inwardly. Why, she thought, was there always a condition?

"Name it," she said, hoping she sounded brave.

"That you never, on pain of death, attempt to see his face."

"Come again?" Whatever this being was—wizard, oracle, or god—there was a limit to unnatural demands, and this was it.

The response was cold, deep, and unwavering. "_He_ may trust you, but I do not. I will never allow him to reveal his identity to a human." There was a pause, long enough for Chloe to take a deep breath. "Do you agree?"

There didn't seem to be much of a choice, she reflected ruefully, unless she was willing to sentence the king to eternal imprisonment. "Very well, your Majesty. I agree." Resolutely ignoring her father's strangled protest, she gulped and continued, "I will marry this monster."

She caught the prince's eyes. "Take care of my family."

Alexander bowed and cast an appreciative glance at Lana, who rushed forward to hug her sister, crying. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I promise."

Chloe nodded and raised her eyes to the king. "What now?"

Prince Alexander smirked. "Ask him how he plans to get through my guards." With one graceful gesture, they were surrounded by a dozen heavily armed palace sentries.

The king really did smile, now. "Like this."

The light in the crystal died, and in the space of a shocked breath the hall was plunged in a blackness thicker than night.

Chloe listened to the guards crashing into each other, and over their grunts and curses, she heard something familiar: A wind, rising out of nowhere, and rushing past her……

Two strong arms swept her up. Swallowing back a cry, Chloe peered into the darkness, but saw only a shadow bending over her. As they streaked upwards with increasing speed, she heard a voice she almost knew whisper softly in her ear. "Don't be afraid."

It was one of the last things Chloe remembered before losing consciousness.


	4. Chapter 3

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Three**

Chloe nestled comfortably in her bed, wondering, sleepily, why her mattress was free of its usual lumps. There was something off about the sheets, too; they were unexpectedly silky and cool to the touch. She stroked them lazily, enjoying the feel, her eyes shut against the bright light.

The sun must be up, she thought, which meant she'd overslept and would be late for her morning chores. Yawning, Chloe reflected guiltily that Gabriel probably was looking for her at this very moment.

In the strangely quiet room, her yawn echoed like thunder. Her eyelids flew open, and the next instant she jerked upright, scattering cushions everywhere across the large, tufted featherbed as her memory came crashing back.

She stared, open-mouthed, at a room that appeared to be made completely out of ice. The walls were gleaming pillars, the floor smooth as glass, and the ceiling—if there was one—disappeared into the soft glow that seemed to well out from deep inside the clear rocks.

Wherever this mysterious god had taken her, she thought, it definitely wasn't Mount Olympus.

Chloe shivered suddenly as chilly air hit her shoulders, which were, inexplicably, almost bare. Looking down in surprise, she discovered that the plain, unadorned dress she'd worn to the king's court had somehow been replaced by a sleek, low-cut, crimson nightshift, held up by only the slenderest of straps. The finely-woven material was butter-soft; it was both far more comfortable, and far more revealing, than any dress she had ever owned.

Hastily pulling the snow-white coverlet over herself, she scanned the room nervously, wondering how and when she'd been undressed—and, most of all, by _whom_. Her stomach did a quick, uneasy flip as she remembered strong hands gathering her close and a soft voice whispering in her ear. Before she could stop herself, she began to imagine the same hands gently removing her patched homespun skirt and trailing over her naked body.

The hands of her bridegroom.

All of a sudden, in spite of the freezing chamber, the coverlets seemed far too warm, but she resisted casting them aside, anxious to keep her scanty clothing concealed, although from who or what, she wasn't sure. She shivered again, but whether it was from the cold, or desire, or dread, she wasn't sure.

"_There is nothing to fear."_

The booming, disembodied voice came out of nowhere, abruptly shattering the unearthly silence. Chloe's heart leapt into her throat as she searched the ghostly-pale chamber in vain for its owner.

"I'm not afraid," she lied, peering anxiously into every shadowed nook for any sign of movement, "just a little chilled." Compared to the reverberating bass of the unseen speaker, her own voice sounded small and, even to her ears, very unconvincing. Gulping down a steadying breath, she added, "Who are you?"

_"I am the Keeper of this Fortress. You may call me Jor-El."_

The voice was distorted by the echoing chamber, but there was something familiar about the intonations. "You spoke to me through the king," Chloe ventured, hesitantly. "About your—son."

_"His name is Kal-El,"_ the voice replied, curtly. Its tone had not grown any friendlier since she'd first heard it in King Leo's throne room. _"You are here at his request—for better or worse."_

Chloe could almost hear Jor-El's disapproving sniff. Whatever attraction this "Kal-El" felt for her, it clearly wasn't shared by his father.

She told herself, sternly, that there was no reason to be frightened about meeting her future husband, in spite of this chilly reception. At least he was almost certain to be kinder than Jor-El.

"When will I see him?" she asked.

_"You won't,"_ came the dry response.

His words were a pointed reminder of the strange condition he'd forced on her. "I know, but I don't understand," she replied slowly. "Why can't I look on Kal-El's face?"

_"I have forbidden him to reveal his true identity to any human."_

The answer only confused her more. What "true identity"? What did Kal-El have to hide? Nervously, she surveyed the icy chamber one more time, hugging the coverlets closer in an effort to control the goosebumps that had risen on her bare arms. Her breath misted in the air.

_"The temperature is not optimal for humans. I will adjust it."_

Warmth flowed into the room, as if the season had magically changed from winter to summer, although the chamber itself still looked like a frozen wonderland. Gradually, the coverlets became so hot that she had no choice but to push them off, exposing the scanty outfit that she'd tried so hard to forget. She cast an uneasy eye over it.

_"Your clothing does not please you?"_

Chloe jumped at the unexpected question. Obviously, Jor-El didn't miss much. "It's beautiful," she said to the surrounding emptiness, wearing a forced smile. "I'd just like to know where it comes from. What happened to my own clothes?"

_"You still wear them."_

She was beginning to suspect that Jor-El possessed a rather twisted sense of humor. "No, I'm not," she insisted, firmly. "And you know it."

"_I merely changed their appearance."_ This time, there was no mistaking the amusement in his tone.

However, she was far too intrigued by Jor-El's words to mind the joke. She squinted up into the light curiously. "You mean you cast a spell?"

_"Hardly,"_ the voice replied dismissively. _"It was a simple matter of rearranging inorganic molecules. The same can be done with your apartments."_

So her bridegroom had respected her privacy after all, Chloe thought, feeling an odd mixture of relief and disappointment. Her eyes swept the crystalline chamber skeptically. "So if I were to ask for, say, a regular-looking room, with a dressing table, a mirror, and a chair, it would just…."

She trailed off as, before her very eyes, the icy pillars shivered, melted, and reformed into a bedchamber fit for a queen. A gilded dressing-table was paired with an exquisitely-carved velvet armchair. The walls of the room were covered in brocade and tapestries, and, in one corner, the inlaid doors of a tall armoire burst open to reveal a closetful of richly-colored gowns in silks, satins, and velvets.

"….magically appear," she finished weakly.

_"Is there anything else you desire?" _

Chloe wrinkled her nose at the smug response, then glanced around, noting the piles of jewels on the dressing table without comment, and then realized what was missing. "Where are my books?"

There was a pause. _"My son was right about you, I see."_ A pair of carved oak doors appeared at the other end of the room. _"Through here."_

Hesitantly, she rose from the overstuffed couch, slipped her bare feet into a pair of satin-lined slippers that had mysteriously appeared at the foot of her bed, and padded her way across acres of Persian carpets towards the doors. She turned the latch, pushed through, and sucked in a shocked breath.

In front of her was a library beyond anything she'd ever seen. Level upon level, the galleries rose up from the main floor, each one lined with shelves and connected by graceful, wrought-iron staircases.

Jor-El had promised that she'd receive knowledge, but in her wildest dreams she'd never imagined such a wealth of information, all in one room.

_"A small but select collection,"_ the voice commented, with impressive understatement. _"Geared to your interests."_

In her excitement she forgot her fear. "I didn't think this many books had even been written."

_"Actually, they haven't. Yet."_

Chloe was too awed by the library to pay much attention to Jor-El's cryptic comment. She stepped into the room and climbed the nearest staircase to inspect the leather-bound tomes on the first level. She recognized several books by authors like Homer, Herodotus, and Cicero—and, to her delight, one by her favorite, Lucius Apuleius—but before long, she noticed that many of the names were strange to her.

"Who are Woodward and Bernstein?" she demanded to the air around her. "I've never heard of them." When Jor-El didn't answer, she continued to walk along the stacks, noting name after unfamiliar name, until something else caught her eye.

"Some of these books are written by _women_," she exclaimed admiringly. Plucking one volume from the shelf, she read the title: "_Ten Days in a Mad-House, _by Nellie Bly. Sounds strange, but interesting. And here's another." She eased out the heavy treatise next to it and let it fall open. "_The History of the Standard Oil Company_, by Ida Tarbell."

What a "standard oil company" might be, she had no idea, but the book seemed to say it was a kingdom gone wrong, much like King Leo's. She leafed through the chapters with growing fascination.

"She talks about bringing the truth to the people," Chloe breathed. "That's what I always wanted to do, too."

_"The truth is that humans are weak and prone to evil."_

Jor-El's voice startled her so much that she nearly let the cumbersome volume slip out of her hands. Gripping the edges of the binding firmly, she snapped it shut and slipped it back in place on the shelf. "We're only mortal, but we manage."

_"Human urges are destructive. Kal-El will change this."_

The words finally jerked Chloe out of her comfortable mood. She looked up, frowning. "What do you mean?"

_"Kal-El's destiny is to conquer the Earth."_

She drew a shaky breath as Jor-El's meaning hit home. The being who'd protected her, who'd kissed her, who'd spoken words of comfort in her ear and flown her into the clouds, was destined to be a dictator. A tyrant.

A monster.

And there was no going back. She was trapped.

_"He will come for you soon."_ Chloe stared sightlessly in front of her, too shocked to reply.

"_Remember, you are here because my son thinks you trustworthy."_ His tone hardened. _"Prove yourself otherwise, and your life is forfeit."_

Grimly, she set her jaw. She'd been wrong. There was a way out, if she was brave enough to take it.


	5. Chapter 4

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Four**

Wrapped up in her own thoughts, Chloe barely remembered leaving the library. Jor-El's dire predictions still rang in her ears as she reviewed her options.

Sadly, they seemed no better now than they had a few minutes ago. She'd agreed to marry a future dictator, and she'd promised never to look on his face. Either she kept her promise or she broke it. In which case, as Jor-El had warned, she would die.

Self-sacrifice wasn't her first choice, but, she told herself sternly, the alternative was worse. Spending the rest of her life as the mate of a ruthless conqueror was unthinkable. It made no difference that his soft voice sent shivers down her spine, or that she craved the touch of his lips.

Did it?

Her steps slowed to a halt as she realized, startled, how different her memory of Kal-El was from the monster that Jor-El had described. It hardly seemed possible that they were the same person.

The scent of hot cocoa brought her out of her reverie. Blinking in surprise, she discovered that she was standing in the middle of her apartment, in front of her bed, which had somehow managed to make itself up. A magnificent midnight-blue velvet gown was laid out on top of the coverlet, and a little pot of drinking chocolate sat on the dresser next to a silver tray piled high with fruit and honey cakes. At the sight of the food, her stomach rumbled; she'd been far too nervous to eat before her family's audience with the king.

More inviting aromas, of vanilla and citrus, drew her attention to a previously-unnoticed doorway, through which she spied a filled bathing-tub of finest Italian marble. On its wide rim was a stack of fluffy white towels. Inhaling the fragrant mist, she cast one longing glance at the honey cakes, and decided they could wait.

The sight of food and the prospect of a relaxing bath did much to brighten her gloomy mood. Future tyrant though he was, Kal-El obviously cared enough to provide her with the best—which was puzzling. Why would such a godlike being, a world conqueror, be attracted to a simple peasant girl like her? It was an interesting question.

And a bath would help her think.

Eagerly, Chloe began to pull up the skirt of her silken sheath, when she recalled her unseen host. She froze, eyeing the gilded wood paneling of the ceiling uncertainly. "Jor-El? Are you still here?"

The answering silence seemed to go on forever. Meanwhile, iridescent bubbles floated temptingly over the foaming bathwater in the tub. They gleamed as if in sunlight, although as yet Chloe had seen no windows anywhere in the Fortress. Watching them sparkle, she felt her resolve slowly crumble.

"I'll take that as a 'no,'" she mumbled to the ceiling. Hastily, she peeled off her gown and let it fall to the carpet, where its shining folds formed a puddle of crimson. She sprinted for the tub and was soon neck-deep in warm, soapy heaven.

Resting her neck against a cushion that had thoughtfully been placed at one end of the tub, she closed her eyes, feeling the tension drain from her muscles as the heat seeped into every pore. Sighing happily, she slid further down until the water touched her chin, and felt herself begin to drift off.

Abruptly, the soft light against her eyelids darkened. Surprised, she opened them to discover that the room was now plunged in gloom, as if morning had turned to midnight in the space of a single breath. Stiffening, she peered into the shadows, aware that she was no longer alone.

"Jor-El?" Chloe asked, more sharply than she'd intended. He may have frightened her at first, but his tricks were fast becoming irritating. He could have at least let her bathe in peace. "What happened to the light?"

The answering voice, which appeared to come from the door, sounded far more human than Jor-El's. "I can't let you see me."

Chloe caught her breath. Kal-El had, apparently, arrived, just as Jor-El had promised. And, as promised, he was invisible to her.

"But I can see you," the voice added, with an appreciative note that made Chloe gulp. Husband or not, she hadn't counted on Kal-El seeing her naked this soon.

"Don't you gods ever knock?" she asked, in a voice that, thankfully, shook only slightly.

There was a slight pause, as if the speaker had been taken aback by her question. "Er...sorry," he said at last, but his tone was more amused than contrite. "I heard you wake up."

It was the second time she'd heard that voice, and once again she was struck by its familiarity. The echoes in the huge chamber made it hard to be sure, but she thought she'd heard it before. She was searching her memory, trying to place it, when she heard the clipped sound of sandaled feet crossing the marble floor. Kal-El seemed to be coming closer.

It was too dark to make out much beyond the sheer size of the man who approached. She saw the dim outline of two broad shoulders and heard the rustle of a tunic as long legs strode forward, coming to a halt next to the tub. Covered only by a blanket of bubbles, she peered far up the length of the towering figure, at a face that was hidden in the gloom.

"I didn't want to wait," he added, softly.

As she stared at his imposing bulk, Chloe knew that a furious blush was spreading across her cheeks. At the same time, the bathwater seemed to have grown uncomfortably hot. In the darkness, she could almost feel Kal-El grin, and she sensed that he was very aware of the effect he had on her.

Angrily, she glared in the general direction of his face while she struggled for control. "That's too bad, because you'll have to," she retorted. She groped for one of the towels that she'd seen stacked by the tub and quickly wound it around her as she rose, dripping.

"I need to dry off," she said, with as much dignity as she could muster, "and then we can talk."

She stepped out of the tub, nearly tripping over the unseen marble rim, and jumped at his steadying touch, which sent waves of warmth through her bare skin. As he took hold of her, she heard something jangle faintly on his wrist.

"Let me help," he offered, politely.

In front of her, two glowing points appeared in the gloom, startling Chloe so badly that it took her a moment to realize that they were eyes. Panic-stricken, she tried to run, but his deceptively gentle grip held her firmly in place. Helplessly, she stood, trapped, while the glow deepened from yellow to a furnace-like bright crimson. She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, wondering what she could possibly have done to displease Kal-El so soon.

To her surprise, a pleasant tingle began to spread over her body. The dampness on her skin evaporated, as if she'd been standing in the summer sun after a rainstorm. Hesitantly, she risked a quick peek, and saw that the glow was fading back into the blackness.

Kal-El released her. "Better now?" he asked cheerily.

Not only was Chloe completely dry, but the towel she wore was heated just enough to keep her from getting too chilly while she stood, barefoot, on the cold marble floor, staring at the shadowy figure. Over the years, she'd witnessed scores of weird happenings, but never anything like this. It made her wonder about the true extent of Kal-El's powers.

She was annoyed to discover that her mouth was hanging open. Angrily, she shut it, and waited until she'd recovered enough to speak. "Don't _ever_ do that again."

"I didn't mean to frighten you," he replied, and this time his apology sounded sincere.

He still stood very close, so close that his hot breath tickled her ear as he spoke. She could hear the steady rhythm as he inhaled and exhaled. Even though his eyes no longer glowed, his body seemed to radiate heat, and the effect it had on her was more than a little unnerving. She had to resist the urge to move toward that warmth and let it envelop her.

Clutching the towel around her more tightly, Chloe fought to keep her voice calm. "I'll go get dressed now."

"I like looking at you, just as you are," he murmured, and she felt soft fingers touch her cheek.

Chloe stiffened. "Shouldn't we talk a little, um, before…." She trailed off in embarrassment. "I mean, we haven't even been properly introduced."

The amusement in his voice was very clear now. "Are you sure?"

She raised her brows inquisitively at the dim shape bending over her. "Don't think I'm not grateful, but saving my life a few dozen times isn't exactly an 'introduction.' At least, not in my world."

The caressing fingers slid lower, trailing from her cheek to the back of her neck, playing with her hair, and setting every nerve ending on fire. "But thisis your world now, Chloe," he pointed out, his voice deepening as it grew softer.

With a little gasp, Chloe shook him away and retreated several steps. "Why choose me?" she demanded, playing for time. "There must be plenty of princesses out there who'd be thrilled to be your bride."

His reply was unexpectedly gentle. "I wanted something better than a princess. I wanted a friend."

A little of her fear receded at this curious answer. "But you don't know anything about me," she observed, puzzled.

There was a small pause. "I know more about you than you think. You're brave, you're wise, you're good-hearted, and you're not frightened of things you don't understand."

Kal-El's admiring words flustered her even more. She'd seldom gotten praise from anyone except her father. "Er….thank you," she murmured uncertainly, unsure how to respond.

"And you're very beautiful."

At the sound of approaching footsteps, she froze, feeling as if her knees would give way at any minute. There was nowhere to run, and, even worse, she wasn't sure she wanted to. Drawing a shaky breath, she tried to speak, failed, and tried again. "Who are you?"

Another pause, during which she felt keen eyes fixed on her. "Some people might call me a monster."

Chloe heard her own breath catch in her throat, remembering how terrified she'd been of those crimson eyes. True, he hadn't harmed her, but there was no doubt in her mind that he could have, if he'd wanted to. She couldn't let herself trust him. He was a monster. Hadn't he said so himself?

A monster who spoke softly and caressed her gently. Who could warm her to the core with a single touch.

She imagined what it might be like to feel those strong hands wander all over her body, and began to tremble.

Kal-El must have noticed her trembling. "You _are_ afraid of me," he muttered, disappointment echoing in his voice.

Chloe started to deny it, but when she realized what she was on the verge of confessing, she pressed her lips together, blushing.

His abrupt change in tone had caught her by surprise. Suddenly, he sounded much less like the all-powerful god who controlled her destiny, and more like a lonely boy, lost in the woods.

"I won't attack you," he added, softly.

Again, she had the uneasy feeling of a memory slipping just beyond her reach. Who else had said that? Had it been Justin? No, that wasn't possible, Justin _had_ attacked her.

Right now, trapped in a strange fortress by an unseen monster whom she'd agreed to marry, it was impossible to think clearly. All she could do was hold on to her towel as if it were the last shield between herself and the dark unknown.

Still, he deserved to know the truth. She lifted her head and looked steadily into the gloom. "I know. I'm not frightened."

She didn't flinch as two large hands settled on her shoulders. Tilting her head upwards to peer at his shadowy face, she parted her lips invitingly, and his mouth closed softly over hers.

Instinctively, she loosed her hold on the towel and leaned into him, lacing her arms around his neck. She heard a low rumble of pleasure in his throat as he delved deeper with his tongue, eagerly yet carefully, as if he were reluctant to push too hard. Impatiently, she drew his head lower and returned the kiss hungrily, urging him on.

Dimly she became aware that the towel was slipping lower. When, after a long moment, she pulled away from him to catch her breath, it fell to the floor, leaving her naked in his arms.

He growled and pulled her tightly against him. Long fingers traced a slow, shuddery line up the center of her bare back. She arched blissfully as his hand traveled to the nape of her neck and began to knead the muscles, untangling the hard knots and melting the last of her resolve.

Sighing, she melted into him, burying her face in the folds of his tunic and inhaling the scent of fresh cotton. It surprised her to discover that Kal-El, future dictator, wore such simple cloth, but Chloe decided that she liked it.

Underneath the thin material, she could feel the hard pressure of his erection. It felt far bigger than she'd anticipated—not that a reasonably virtuous former shepherd's daughter had much experience with such things. She gasped and recoiled slightly.

He moaned in frustration, and instantly pulled her back, firmly but with obvious care. It was strange, she thought, before more interesting feelings distracted her, that someone with muscles as hard as steel should have a grip that was light as a feather.

A warm hand wrapped around one of hers, guiding it gently downwards until it brushed the bulging evidence of his interest. Slowly, hearing his encouraging murmurs, she began to stroke him, and he quivered, exhaling a sigh as his hand released her and moved to cup her bare breast, pushing her into him with a gentle, rocking rhythm.

With every push, she could feel him hardening. His other hand lifted from its resting place on the small of her back and played with her breasts. She drew her breath in sharply as an unseen finger tweaked her nipple.

"Does that please you?" Kal-El's soft tones warmed her ear.

Chloe summoned all her willpower. "A little," she confessed, trying not to scream in pleasure as her invisible lover continued to tease both nipples, until they were almost painfully tight.

From the satisfied note in his voice, Chloe could tell that Kal-El wasn't fooled. "Only a little?" he murmured, and she felt him smile. "Then we'll have to do better."

Without warning, he hoisted up one of her legs to hip level. Chloe was forced to raise her other leg as well, winding them both around his hips for support, and felt his erection push against her. She heard him chuckle softly as he held her up and resumed his slow rocking.

Her weight seemed to have no effect on him; showing no signs of strain, he bucked against her while she clutched his shoulders, riding with his movement. Somewhere nearby she heard someone pleading and realized, with a start, that the words came from her own throat.

In response, Kal-El quickened his pace. She urged him on, forgetting what Jor-El had said about Kal-El's destiny, forgetting her resolution to escape, forgetting everything except the wonderful way his body felt as it pushed into hers.

He readjusted her position and directed his thrusts downward, drawing another sharp gasp from Chloe as, with tantalizing slowness, he pushed himself between her parted legs and rubbed against the soft folds of her opening. She gritted her teeth and tightened her grip around his hips, rocking with redoubled urgency.

"Do you want more?" came the teasing question. Chloe resisted the urge to scream.

Kal-El obviously knew he was in control, and she didn't care. As long as he kept up that incredible rhythm, he was welcome to do whatever he wanted. He could keep her captive for the rest of her life. He could cast any spell he chose over her. Just as long as he didn't stop.

Ignoring his question, she clenched her teeth and dug her nails into his back, but Kal-El only laughed and thrust harder, while she grew hotter and wetter against his pressure. Dimly, she heard him laugh again, triumphantly, as her moisture spilled out onto his tunic. Too overcome to give more than an ecstatic moan, she flopped against him, panting.

His voice was rough against her cheek. "Now it's my turn."

She snapped awake as she realized that she was being lowered, slowly and carefully, to the cold marble tiles of the floor. If she was going to be ravished, she decided she'd much rather be ravished in the comfort of satin sheets.

"Not here," she whispered, hoping he wasn't too far gone to listen.

"Then _where_?" The strangled response was barely audible.

In a way, it was flattering that Kal-El was too distracted to figure it out for himself. "Umm….the bedroom?"

In the blink of an eye her back was resting against something soft and yielding. The darkness was disorienting, but there was no mistaking the feel of the overstuffed mattress on which she'd awoken shortly before. The enticing aroma of hot cocoa from her uneaten breakfast still hung in the air.

Except, this time, she wasn't alone. Kal-El's warm weight was on top of her, and from the feel of his skin moving against hers, he'd lost his tunic somewhere along the way. Propped up on his elbows, he scattered kisses down her neck while he rubbed his dripping erection between her legs.

Her interest quickly revived. She purred happily underneath him as his fingers played with her hair, scarcely noticing the sharp twinge when something cool and metallic on his wrist scraped lightly against her cheek. It struck her as odd that Kal-El would wear jewelry to bed, but there more exciting things to think about right now. Like the way his strokes sent lightning flashes of heat shooting through her body. Or the delicious way his scent mixed with the heady aroma of chocolate and honey cakes. At the thought, her mouth began to water.

To her horror, her stomach chose that exact moment to give out a very loud rumble.

She cringed, mortified, as Kal-El's motion stilled. "You're _hungry_?" he demanded.

She didn't need to see his face to know that he was incredulous, and probably furious. Even though she hadn't eaten all day, he'd just think this was an excuse to deny him his pleasure. She arched into him provocatively, anxious not to anger him. "No," she replied firmly.

His cock throbbed in response as she pressed upwards, but Kal-El didn't move. She held her breath nervously, waiting.

Gently, he patted her stomach, which, in spite of her best efforts, rumbled again as if on cue. "You should never skip breakfast," he murmured. "It's the most important meal of the day, or so I've heard."

Chloe relaxed enough to smile. "Where did you hear that?"

"It's something my moth—I mean, someone I once knew, used to say," he replied quietly.

"Really?" The comment raised several questions in her mind that were too tempting to ignore, even lying, as she was, under Kal-El's naked body and nursing an empty stomach. "I thought you'd always lived here, with your father."

"I had another life, once."

Chloe had had enough experience questioning people to recognize from his tone that the subject was closed. That was disappointing, she mused, but not discouraging. Now that she knew he had a story to tell, she'd try again to hear it, and soon.

"Time to feed you," he said briskly.

She blinked as Kal-El's body lifted from hers and a breeze blew past her face; the next instant, she was biting off a buttery chunk from the cake that was held down to her lips by her shadowy lover, who now seemed to be straddling her. She nibbled contentedly out of his hand, and licked the last remaining pieces from his fingertips. It was, she thought ecstatically, the best she'd ever tasted.

His fingers lingered a moment longer than necessary over her mouth. "Would you like some fruit?" he asked, brushing her lower lip with his thumb.

The gentle pressure was beginning to re-awaken a hunger that had nothing to do with food. All the same, she nodded against his fingertips. "Mm." Again the little breeze came and went, and the musky-sweet scent of fresh strawberries reached her nostrils.

"Open wide."

She bit into it, and felt him lean closer. His shadowy head bent over hers.

She tilted her chin up, expecting a kiss, but, instead, he began to lick off the berry juice that had spilled over her face with thorough, maddeningly slow strokes, while he lowered himself over her body, so that the tip of his shaft teased at the folds of her opening.

His soft voice warmed her cheek. "It tastes very good." His tongue flicked over her lower lip. "Almost as good as you do."

She rubbed herself against him impatiently, the scent of arousal from his dripping cock overpowering all others. Laughing softly, he parted her legs with a light touch, while a shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

"I've dreamed about this for a long time," he whispered, and pushed inside.

He entered her so slowly that Chloe nearly cried out in frustration, sliding further in by degrees and stretching her until it seemed that no more of him could fit. At his next push, the sharp pain forced a gasp from her.

He stopped at once, pulling back slightly. "What's wrong?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

The pain receded, but Chloe discovered that she missed the feel of him inside her. "Nothing," she said, reluctant to admit that Kal-El might be too much for her. He had a high enough opinion of himself as it was.

Kal-El, however, didn't need to be told. "Too big?" he asked, just a little too innocently.

She rolled her eyes up at the shadows above her. "Swollen," she corrected, dryly. "Like your head." Winding her legs around his hips, she thrust upward, grimacing as his hard cock stabbed deeper into her.

"Shhh," he soothed, and began to slide back and forth inside her in a steady, gentle rhythm. "There. Has the swelling gone down yet?"

Chloe was too busy enjoying his attentions to mind the gentle sarcasm. Her tight muscles began to relax as the motion kept up and she grew increasingly moist and hot. She purred appreciatively. In response, Kal-El quickened his pace, thrusting deeper and harder, causing the bed beneath them to shake with his effort.

And yet, she could feel the restraint in those thrusts. She had no doubt that Kal-El could have split her in two, if he'd wanted to, just as he could have burned her to a crisp earlier. But he hadn't.

She heard him growl as his large hands grabbed her buttocks possessively, pushing her even closer against him as he rocked into her. Past the point of rational speech, Chloe, drenched with sweat, pumped her hips wildly with his while he continued to fill her.

An explosion of blissful heat went off inside her. At the same moment, Kal-El, with a huge thrust, roared and spilled into her, collapsing on top of her with her name on his lips. She heard his breathing slow as his head settled on her shoulder, and he softened within her.

He was a heavy weight, but Chloe didn't shift position. Instead, she raised a hand to stroke his head, and thought.

After talking to Jor-El, she'd expected the worst. Instead, she'd found a teasing, tender lover. Who felt, unexpectedly, familiar.

Which was the real Kal-El? Was he a tyrant, or a friend?

He stirred at her touch. "Thank you," he breathed, and she felt his hand on her cheek. As it had before, the sharp metal on his wrist grazed her, and she winced.

"I wish you wouldn't wear jewelry to bed," Chloe remarked. "Can't you take it off?"

The hand withdrew at once. "No."

There was something more to this, she felt sure. "It's just a bracelet, isn't it? What's so special about it?"

His head settled back on her shoulder. "It's the secret of my power," he murmured.

From his slowing breath, Chloe guessed that he'd already drifted off, but she was, suddenly, wide awake.

She hadn't counted on finding a mystery.


	6. Chapter 5

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Five**

Even as a child, Chloe had never been afraid of the dark. A shepherd's daughter was used to venturing outside at night sometimes, in search of stray lambs, and, unlike most people, Chloe had welcomed the task. Where she'd grown up, in the country far from Metropolis, the stars shone much more brightly, acres of tiny diamonds strewn across a black velvet cloak. They moved through the night sky in familiar patterns, and yet, she knew they held secrets that had nothing to do with the world she lived in. Their unknowable beauty fascinated her.

When she'd been very young, she'd asked her father where the stars went during the day. Most fathers, she thought, would have laughed off the question, but Gabriel, aware that Chloe would keep asking until she got an answer, took it seriously. "I don't know," he'd replied honestly, and then smiled. "But just because you don't see something doesn't mean it's not there."

Now, lying next to Kal's overwhelming, invisible, warmth, Chloe remembered her father's words. Seen or unseen, Kal was as fascinating as the stars themselves—only, she thought, shivering with pleasure as she felt him still inside her, far less remote. His breath tickled her bare skin as he nestled against her, murmuring in his sleep, while his arm draped over her chest possessively.

She fondled his biceps; even in this relaxed state, they were as hard as granite, and his embrace, in spite of its lightness, held her firmly. Only an hour ago, she mused, the power in that grip would have terrified her; now, it made her feel safe.

His forearm slid further up, pressing uncomfortably close to her neck. Chloe, unable to budge it even an inch, made a protesting sound, and at once the weight of the arm disappeared. To her disappointment, Kal, groaning softly, pulled himself out of her and rolled over. Reluctant to let him get too far away, she snuggled up against the broad expanse of his back, and hooked her own arm around him, listening to his happy sigh.

She smiled into his shoulder, and wondered how such an immensely powerful being could possibly feel as cuddly and comforting as a stuffed bear. (An unusually large one, she added silently.) Like the stars, Kal was an enigma.

In more ways than one. Chloe let her fingers wander down the length of his arm until they reached the bracelet on his wrist. It jingled softly as she played thoughtfully with the slender chain.

Could such a delicate piece of jewelry really be the source of his power? It didn't make sense. Even though she'd grown up in a kingdom overrun with curses and monsters, Chloe'd never really believed in magic charms. She was convinced that there were logical explanations for everything, no matter how strange, and she felt the same way about this bracelet. She wanted to find out more.

No sooner had the idea formed in her head than she began to finger the chain in search of a clasp or a hook, trying to find some way to slip it off his wrist just long enough to examine it in better light. Surely all the rooms in this enchanted place weren't pitch black?

She was all too aware how foolish this was. Every tale she'd ever read had taught her that stealing from the gods was not only hopeless, but usually fatal. If he caught her, Kal was bound to be furious.

But she was too close to stop now. She'd found something that felt like a hook, and with a little jiggling, it began to move. In another minute, it would be unlatched. Chloe held her breath in anticipation.

A sudden tremor underneath her arm startled her so much that she lost her grip on the bracelet. Kal's shoulders, pressed against her chest, had begun to shake violently. Swallowing nervously, she pulled away from him, sliding over the satin sheets to the furthest edge of the bed, and waited.

There were no signs of movement from Kal's side of the bed. An anxious minute later, she heard an amused voice which, she noticed, held not a trace of sleep.

"Curious already?" He began to chuckle, and she realized that his shoulders had been shaking, not with anger, but with bottled laughter.

Chloe didn't know if she should feel relieved or insulted. Deciding on the latter, she inched closer, reached out to slap his arm, and missed.

"Don't do that," he said. From the direction of his voice, it was clear that he'd shifted position to avoid her. "You'll hurt yourself."

"You were awake all along, weren't you?" Chloe accused.

"Not really. But I'm a light sleeper. And I knew that, sooner or later, you wouldn't be able to resist peeking." The smile crept back into his voice, sending warm shivers down her spine in spite of her irritation. "Turns out it was sooner."

His easy reply chased away the last trace of her fear. "Hmmph," she grumbled, sitting up. "Can you blame me? I'm in a strange new world, and I can't even see the person who claims to love me. Do you know what that's like?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." His tone suddenly turned serious. "I'm sorry. My father insisted, but, I promise you, once he understands you the way I do, he'll change his mind."

Chloe wished she could share Kal's optimism. Jor-El, from what little she knew of him, didn't seem like the understanding type.

He sat up too, gathering her closer, and she leaned into his reassuring bulk as his lips grazed her forehead. She felt his large hand encircle the back of her neck, kneading her muscles with small, delicious strokes. "Speaking of father, I mustn't neglect my training. He insisted on that, too."

His words shook Chloe out of her pleasant trance. "Training?" she asked, slowly.

She felt his head nodding above her. "To fulfill my destiny."

His reply was a jarring reminder of Jor-El's recent, dire predictions. Chloe stiffened, shrugging off his caress. "What destiny? Conquering the world?"

"For its own good, yes." There was a pause. "It's necessary."

The room seemed to have turned chilly all of a sudden. Chloe wrapped the silken sheets around her, pulling them up to her chin like a protective cocoon, while she tried her best not to feel the waves of heat radiating from Kal's tempting body, mere inches away. When his unseen fingers smoothed her hair, she dodged his touch. "Is that what your father told you?" she challenged.

"He showed me that most humans aren't like you, Chloe," Kal answered solemnly. "They have destructive urges, and they've caused a lot of suffering. I can put a stop to that."

"How?" she retorted. "By killing all the troublemakers? If that's your idea of 'helping,' you're no better than King Leo."

It was his turn to stiffen. "No one's going to die."

"Did your father tell you that, too?" she asked softly.

In the darkness, the silence seemed to stretch on forever. Kal's answer, when it finally came, sounded defensive. "He didn't have to."

_Ah_, thought Chloe, shuddering at the implications of his response. Jor-El obviously was more of a realist than his son.

He sidled closer and slid his huge palm underneath her cocoon of sheets. It rested lightly on her shoulder and, this time, she didn't bother to dodge it. "Humans need me, Chloe. The world needs me…just as I need you."

The warmth of his touch seeped into her, as comforting and as welcome as a hearth fire in the winter. She couldn't help but relax into it; with a sense of dismay, she felt her outrage melt away.

_What's wrong with me?_ she thought, angrily. Her new lover had just confessed his plans for world domination, and all she could think of was how wonderful he made her feel.

"In that case," she replied, stubbornly holding on to the last shreds of her defiance, "I give you fair warning, I intend to do everything I can to stop you."

His hand wandered lower, making her quiver with an emotion that was the opposite of the one she'd intended to project. "Then I'd better keep a close eye on you." His fingers teased her [N], forcing a gasp from her. "Very close."

Abruptly, the hand withdrew, leaving her breathless and fighting to regain control. "But right now, Jor-El is expecting me," Kal said briskly. "He'll be angry if I'm late."

Before she could open her mouth to object, lips pressed softly against hers in a quick kiss. "Feel free to explore all you want," Kal murmured affectionately against her cheek. "Do your worst. I'm willing to take the risk." He rose from the bed, his towering form barely distinguishable from the surrounding gloom. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

The next instant, he was gone, leaving her alone in a bedchamber that was, magically, once again flooded with light. Chloe blew out a startled gust of air and lifted a determined chin.

Clearly, Kal had been taught to have a very low opinion of mortals. It was up to her to try to change his mind. But how?

The bracelet, she decided, was the key. Magic charm or not, it was certainly an important clue to this mysterious being, who seemed, at once, awe-inspiring, exasperating, and naggingly familiar. Like a pea in the court magician's shell game, the real Kal seemed impossible to locate. Once she found him, she might understand him better.

And, as Jor-El himself had told her, back in King Leo's throne room, in King Leo's voice, knowledge was power.

Anxious to put her plan into action, she threw aside the silky coverlet, and jumped onto the plush Oriental carpet, landing with barely a thud. In a glittering heap next to the bed, she discovered the midnight-blue gown she'd seen before, laid out across the mattress; it must have fallen while she and her lover were otherwise occupied in the dark.

Sternly pushing aside the memory of Kal's warm weight on top of her, she rubbed the last sticky evidence of his attention from her stomach, and forced herself to focus on her next move. True, she could use another bath, but that could wait for later. Right now, she needed to explore this mysterious place, just as Kal had suggested.

Hastily, she wriggled into the dress, unsurprised to find it a perfect fit. Locating a pair of matching shoes in the huge wardrobe, she headed for the door.

It was time to show Kal-El what a mere mortal could do.


	7. Chapter 6

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Six**

Chloe slipped past the ornately carved doorway, half-expecting the amazing library Jor-El had created to be gone. In a way, it was reassuring to see that it was still there; the seemingly endless stacks of books looked exactly the same as before, as did the lavishly-appointed central hall, with its invitingly overstuffed chairs and polished mahogany study tables. In one corner, a magnificent writing-desk, inlaid with ebony and mother-of-pearl, held an assortment of pens, an oil lamp, and sheets of creamy parchment.

The hall had everything a curious scholar could want or need, Chloe thought, eying the desk's writing materials longingly, except the one thing she was looking for: A way out. The only door she could see was the one she'd just come through, and it led back to her own apartments.

She peered around the silent room uncertainly. "Jor-El?"

There was no answer, but Chloe could have sworn that, for a split-second, the soft lighting in the hall had flickered. Gathering her courage, she tried again.

"Do you mind if I explore the Fortress a little?" she asked, with forced brightness. Pausing, she surveyed her comfortable surroundings, then added, raising her voice slightly, "The _real_ Fortress, that is. Don't think I'm not grateful for all this luxury, Jor-El, but I know it's just an illusion for my sake. I want to know the truth."

When there was still no response, Chloe played what she hoped was her trump card. "Kal-El says it's alright."

Immediately, as Chloe watched in awed fascination, the tapestry on the far wall began to shimmer, fade, and melt away. Slowly, almost reluctantly, the featureless, blank space began to re-shape itself, until, after what seemed like an eternity, it resolved into a pair of gilded doors, each of which bore an identical, shield-shaped crest, enclosing a symbol that looked like an "S."

"Guess that worked," Chloe murmured, eying the imposing new exit nervously. She'd never thought there was such a thing as being too inquisitive, but now, imagining what might lay beyond those doors, she began to wonder. A few of the more colorful tales she'd collected from travelers ran through her mind, of enchanted lands too beautiful—or horrible—for mortals to bear.

Of course, none of those travelers had ever been able to explain to her exactly how they knew about those lands. And since when did she take unconfirmed rumors seriously?

_You asked for this_, she told herself sternly. Squaring her shoulders and trying to ignore the loud pounding of her heart, she lifted the hem of her gown an inch or so from the floor and made her way toward the formerly nonexistent doorway. It was so quiet that she could hear the train of her skirt swish behind her as she moved, brushing lightly against the carpet.

At her approach, the doors began to swing out, and a blast of cold air rushed in, cutting through her light clothing like a knife. She forced herself to keep going as, inch by inch, the gap widened, revealing what lay beyond. Her throat too dry to swallow, Chloe stepped over the threshold.

Hugging her arms tightly to her chest for warmth, she stared in amazement at the colossal, crystalline corridor in which she stood. Like her bedchamber before Jor-El changed its appearance, it seemed to be carved from clear ice, but, unlike her bedroom, its scale was jaw-dropping. As she took a few more uncertain steps down the icy-smooth gallery, past gleaming pillars ten times thicker and taller than the largest oak, she felt like a small child, lost in a world made for giants.

The pillars leaned inwards, soaring to impossible heights, glowing blue-white as if made of frozen fire. Following them up into the distance, she saw that they met, eventually, and their interlaced beams formed the vaulted ceiling of this unearthly cathedral. Here and there, through the gaps between the beams, Chloe could barely make out the twinkle of tiny stars in the night sky. Against the radiance of the Fortress, their light was almost lost.

At the sight, Chloe's skeptical nature quavered. Although she'd never really believed that Kal was divine, she had to admit, as she gazed at the magnificence around her, that the idea was tempting. Who else but a god would live in a palace that outshone the stars?

_Too bad it's an ice palace_, she reflected, with another shiver. As if in response, the air around her began to shimmer; she jumped back in surprise, noticed that the shimmer followed where she went, then realized that she wasn't shivering any more. Rubbing away the last of her goosebumps, Chloe aimed a grateful smile at the distant ceiling. "Thanks, Jor-El."

As before, there was no response. Chloe's brow furrowed. "You _are_ there, aren't you?"

A flickering light, far down the corridor, distracted her from further questions. Bursts of white radiance, very different from the steady bluish glow of the crystals, struck sparks from the cut-glass surface of the pillars at the other end of the gallery.

Puzzled, she swept up her skirts again and hurried down the corridor, not even slowing down to inspect the many interesting alcoves tucked in the walls along the way. Casting quick sideways glances at them as she rushed by, she glimpsed clusters of oddly-shaped, transparent tubes that seemed to grow from the floor, some of which held brightly-colored smaller crystals. A few of these actually rose into the air when she passed by, hovering in front of her like tempting jewels. It took all her willpower to resist the urge to examine them more closely; with an effort, she tore her eyes away and focused on the mysterious light ahead.

The closer she came, the brighter it grew, until, by the time she finally arrived at the end of the corridor, the radiance was almost blinding. Shielding her eyes, Chloe peered out at a cavernous chamber that was easily big enough to hold King Leo's throne room a dozen times over, with space left to spare.

And in the center of the chamber was the source of the radiance: A single glowing column of pulsing white light that stretched from floor to vaulted roof.

Blinking against the glare, she crept forward cautiously. As she did, her ears picked up a low, steady droning that seemed to be coming from inside the column, which grew louder as she approached. When she was almost close enough to touch it, she halted, the sound thrumming against her chest.

Abruptly, the pulsing stopped. Squinting curiously into the brightness, Chloe thought she detected shifting patterns in the light, as if someone was moving inside. Hesitantly, she reached out a trembling hand toward the column.

The radiance dimmed a little, and, with a gasp, Chloe glimpsed the vague outlines of a figure struggling to get out. A tall figure with broad shoulders, long legs, and huge hands, which were, at this moment, pushing through the light towards her.

"Kal," she breathed. A head seemed to turn toward her, although it was still too bright to see his features. As he turned, the light faded just enough for her to catch a brief flash of emerald eyes, and that nagging sense of familiarity hit her again.

All she could think of right now, though, was the expression she'd seen in those eyes. Kal was in pain.

"Stop it!" she heard herself scream to no one in particular. "You're hurting him!"

A crash like a thunderclap shook the hall with so much force that Chloe nearly lost her balance, and the light blazed back to full strength. With a sinking heart, she watched Kal's figure disappear.

A cold voice reverberated through the chamber. _"Do not disturb my son."_

So, Chloe thought, squeezing her eyes shut against the renewed radiance, Jor-El had arrived at last. Apparently, he spent his free time torturing his son.

"Why is Kal trapped in there?" she demanded.

_"He is in training, which you have disrupted,"_ he replied in the same passionless tone.

If this was Jor-El's idea of "training," Chloe, for one, could live without it. She'd assumed "training" meant classrooms, teachers, and books. To Chloe, who was mostly self-taught, that kind of education would have been a dream come true.

Kal's version, on the other hand, was more like a nightmare.

Sighing, Chloe switched tactics. "Please," she began in a more conciliatory tone, stepping back from Kal's shining prison. "Couldn't you let me try to teach Kal what he needs to know? I'm pretty good at research."

_"He has already wasted too much time with humans,"_ Jor-El replied dismissively.

Jor-El's remark made Chloe perk her ears. When had Kal done that? Unless there were other mortals in the Fortress—and, judging by Jor-El's attitude, she doubted it—it hadn't been here.

Was it possible that Kal had actually lived in the mortal world? He _had_ mentioned having another life once, after all.

_"Kal-El must never forget his heritage. That is of primary importance."_

Chloe tore her mind away from her musings to pay attention to what Jor-El was saying. His words gave her an idea. Desperate for ways to rescue Kal from his ordeal, she decided to give it a try.

Turning away from the pulsing light, Chloe began to stroll casually around the huge hall's perimeter, pretending to admire the colorful patterns cast by the prisms in the Fortress pillars. "You know," she said, keeping her voice carefully neutral, "I could help with that. If I understood a little more about Kal's heritage, I might be able to talk about it with him. That might keep it fresh in his mind."

She continued her casual inspection, aware that Jor-El was listening to every word. _Good, so far_, she thought.

"I could keep him interested," she murmured.

_"From what I've seen, you already do,"_ came the dry response.

Chloe blushed, wondering exactly how much Jor-El _had_ seen. Still, she couldn't help feeling mildly amused. Not only was her appeal to his self-interest working, but he also obviously had a weakness for double entendres. Whether he knew it or not, he was beginning to sound more human by the minute.

In one of the larger alcoves nearby, a brilliant ruby crystal sprang to life, shooting from a tall tube and spinning in mid-air like a beacon. Taking it as a sign from Jor-El, she entered the alcove for a closer view. Once she was inside, the crystal flew past her nose and dove down another tube, where it continued to spin.

"_Watch, and learn."_

As if a curtain had been drawn, the light of the pulsating column in the main hall disappeared, and the blue-white glow of the pillars dimmed. The alcove was plunged into near-total darkness, except for the small crystal, which blazed like a live ember inside the glass pipe.

A beam shot out from the crystal so suddenly that Chloe had to stifle a gasp. A picture of a strange city, underneath a red sun, appeared from out of nowhere, its sparkling white pinnacles and spires thrusting up from a snowy plain, casting rose and purple shadows on the frozen ground. The detail was amazing; each dome and turret looked even more lifelike than the painted landscapes she'd admired in the King's galleries.

Except that this picture _moved_. As she watched, open-mouthed, the sun sank rapidly below the horizon, and the viewing angle changed, swinging around to show acres of twinkling towers, shining against the darkening sky like a field of fallen stars, under the silver-pink sliver of a large moon.

_"This is Kal-El's birthplace, the capital city of the planet Krypton. His true home,"_ the voice said softly.

"It's beautiful," Chloe breathed, although she'd never heard of a kingdom called "planet Krypton." "Why did he ever leave?"

The view faded, and another took its place. A woman, tall and sad-faced, was standing on a balcony, holding a baby wrapped in golden cloth and staring over the city at the rising crescent moon. A breeze lifted her flowing white garments as she cooed to the infant in her arms, smoothing his hair with a graceful gesture.

Chloe could actually hear her singing to him, and when the lady moved her arm again, the glitter of a slim gold bracelet, set with three white stones, was plain to see in the moonlight. Somehow, she didn't need to be told that this was Kal's mother. With a start, she realized that she was looking back in time.

"How is this possible?" she asked Jor-El.

_"These are memories, embedded in crystal and sent with my son, to ensure that he never forgets his birthright."_

The words washed over Chloe without any real comprehension. She was too busy staring at the tears sliding down the cheek of Kal's mother. "Something's wrong," she whispered, and, even though she knew these were only images, her stomach twisted in foreboding.

The picture changed again, but this time, instead of a majestic panorama, Chloe saw a charred ruin against a blood-red sky. The earth shook underneath the remains of the city.

"War," she said, choking on the word. She'd never seen it herself, but she'd heard far too much about it. It was one of King Leo's favorite subjects.

"What happened to Kal?" she whispered.

The image shifted rapidly to another scene. Kal's mother was laying her infant son into what looked like a small silver carriage, soothing him gently as he reached out with both chubby little hands to grasp at her slender, bare, arms. She cupped his face in her hands lovingly while, next to her, a man whose face Chloe couldn't see touched buttons on a tall metal console.

The man said something too soft to hear and, with a small moan, the lady kissed Kal and stepped aside. The child began to wail as, to Chloe's amazement, the sides of the carriage closed over him, encasing him in a shining cocoon which slowly rose, hovered silently in mid-air, then darted through a crack in a blackened dome that was just wide enough to allow it to escape.

Chloe drew a shaky breath, trying not to think of the look on Kal's mother's face as his silver chariot flew off. "You sent him away?"

_"He is our only hope."_ Jor-El's low voice sounded like a sigh.

Her brow furrowed. "Do you mean that no one else in the city survived?"

_"No one else in the world survived, child,"_ he said softly.

"I don't know what you mean by 'world,'" she said slowly, not sure she wanted to.

_"There are many worlds in the universe. Yours is one; Krypton is another. Or,"_ he added, sadly, _"it was."_

Slowly, the significance of what he'd said sank in, like a poison seeping into her veins. In spite of Jor-El's protective shield, she felt cold as death.

She stared, unseeing, as the picture faded and the room was bathed once more in the blue-white glow of the icy pillars. In her mind was the face of that child, infant Kal-El, staring trustingly at his mother as he left her arms for a journey from which he would never return.

A large wet drop splashed on her bare forearm. Chloe became aware that she'd wrapped her arms around her chest tightly, and that tears were raining down on them.

Kal's father, surprisingly, seemed to understand. _"Kal-El has been well looked after,"_ was all he said.

Chloe wished she could believe that. Brushing away the telltale moisture from her eyes, she thought again of the pain in those green eyes. "Is this what Kal was seeing, just now?"

_"He must never forget that he is the last son of Krypton,"_ Jor-El replied promptly, without even a trace of regret.

"I'll bet by now he wishes he could," she snapped, unable to keep the anger out of her voice.

Something else occurred to her. "Wait a minute." Glancing behind her, she nodded toward the main chamber, where the pulsing column still surrounded Kal. "If he's the sole survivor....then who are you?"

It took a long while for her unseen companion to respond. When he did, his tone held a mixture of annoyance and grudging respect. _"Excellent deduction."_

"Pretty obvious, if you ask me," Chloe murmured impatiently. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"_I am his father's memory,"_ he replied. _"Jor-El sent me with his son to ensure that he fulfills his purpose."_

Chloe sighed, wondering how many years Kal had spent stuck in this place with only a memory for company. "Poor Kal."

To her list of everything Kal was—demigod, lover, would-be dictator—she added one more, important name.

Orphan.

She had an overwhelming urge to pull him out of that circular wall of light, wrap him in her arms, and never let him go. Until this minute, she hadn't believed anyone as powerful as Kal could possibly need comfort and protection from a mere mortal like her, but if it was hers to give, it would be his, as long as she lived.

Kal—_Kal_—needed her.

_"He has a great destiny."_

"If that's what you call conquest and pillage," she retorted grimly. "The same sort of thing that destroyed his world." Tilting her head to one side, she shot a challenging gaze upward. "I can't believe his father would've wanted that."

_"What you believe is irrelevant."_ The voice (memory? spirit?) of Jor-El lowered to a threatening rumble. _"I will not allow any human to interfere with my mission."_

Chloe's mouth set in the same firm expression she'd used when Gabriel had warned her not to poke her nose in the business of monsters. She was more determined than ever to unlock the secrets that lay hidden in this place.

So much was still a mystery, she thought regretfully. Most especially, Kal's bracelet. So far, the only bracelet she'd seen today was on the hand of his mother, and from its appearance, it was clearly not the same as the one Kal wore. Besides, it had never left that other world, Krypton.

Or… had it?

With a jolt, she realized that when she'd seen Kal's mother lay him in his silver carriage, both her wrists had been bare. And, come to think of it, the bracelet reminded her of something else she'd seen recently…..

The idea was crazy, of course. She dismissed it at once. Still, it was an amazing coincidence.

_"Is there anything else you desire?"_

The polite voice interrupted her train of thought. Jor-El's spirit had changed tone abruptly, apparently deciding to resume his role as invisible butler.

Anxious to get back to her half-formed speculations, she barely heard his question. "Some trees would be nice," she answered absently. "This place needs some greenery."

Right now, what she wanted most was a quiet place, and time to think. "Can you point me toward the library, Jor-El? I'm a little tired of exploring."

_"Very well. Look behind you."_

Chloe was, by now, so used to things materializing out of thin air that she was only mildly surprised when she turned around to find the library's gilded double doors directly in front of her. "Thank you," she murmured gratefully.

As they swung open to admit her back to familiar territory, her companion spoke again. _"Do not forget that Kal-El trusts you, as do I. Remember your promise. You must never look on his face, on pain of death."_

She rolled her eyes. Jor-El's "memory" was annoyingly single-track. "How can I?" she muttered, flopping down on the brocaded armchair next to the elegant writing-desk, where a covered teapot and scones were laid out next to the leather-bound blotter. "You won't let me."

After removing the cozy and pouring the tea—which, by its scent, was her favorite, Darjeeling—into a delicate bone china cup, she reached for a sheet of parchment and quickly jotted down everything she'd discovered about Kal, Jor-El, and Kal's home world. Reading her notes over, she shook her head, dissatisfied.

"It's more questions than answers," she murmured to herself, sighing. None of this had given her a clue how to convince Kal to change his mind about world conquest. On the contrary, witnessing Jor-El's version of "training" had shown her the kind of conditioning she was up against.

"If only I could see what he looks like," she whispered. "If only I knew why I'm not allowed to." She drummed her fingertips on the blotter thoughtfully. "Hmmm."

Her eyes fell on the small oil lamp in a corner of the desk. It was an odd accessory for an otherwise well-lit room, but Chloe assumed that homely details like the lamp, the tea cozy, and the rough-cut parchment, were intended to put her at ease. A quick search of the desk's drawers confirmed this; although the lamp was filled to the brim with oil, no flint or tinder for lighting it was anywhere in sight.

No matter. Chloe smiled as she lifted the teacup to her lips. Where there was a lamp, there'd be a light. And, with any luck, it would shine on both Kal's face _and_ his bracelet. She'd find a way.

She took a sip, replaced the cup on the saucer, and continued taking notes. She hoped that Kal would be here soon. They'd have lots to talk about.


	8. Chapter 7

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Seven**

When, after an hour or so, Kal still hadn't appeared, Chloe dusted the last crumbs of scone off her fingertips and rose to take a bath, which, as she'd expected, was already drawn and waiting for her. Surprisingly, it was uninterrupted, so she was able to enjoy a long, luxurious soak in the fragrant water—it was scented with rose this time—before emerging, wrapped in thick terry towels, to discover a gown, even more magnificent than her last one, laid out for her in the bedroom.

Of white watered silk, trimmed in pearls and gold brocade, it was a dress fit for a princess' wedding day. And, in the center of the neckline, embroidered in rubies, was the same "S"-shaped crest she'd seen on the library doors.

"Haven't you ever heard of _plain_ clothing?" Chloe exclaimed in exasperation, plucking in dismay at the stiff, scratchy-looking brocade.

If this was Jor-El's way of elevating her to the nobility, she'd have to set him straight. Eying the ceiling, she said, firmly, "No offense, but I'm not the princess type. Something a little less gold-plated, please?"

There was no reply. Scowling, she threw open the doors of the enchanted wardrobe, rummaging in vain for anything even slightly less glamorous. The only useful item she managed to locate was an underslip, dripping with lace as delicate as spiderwebs, and obviously intended to be worn underneath the gown Jor-El had chosen.

Sighing in defeat, she stared at the slip, then glanced accusingly upwards. "Just so you know, mortals call that 'being stubborn.'"

Once she'd put them on, though, she had to admit that the slip and the gown were far more comfortable than they'd appeared. Not only that, but, she thought, twirling in front of the full-length mirror next to the wardrobe, the low-cut bodice did things for her figure that Kal might appreciate. So it was in a cheerful mood that she wandered back to the library and settled down with a book in a big russet leather chair to wait for her lover to arrive.

But by the time she'd finished several chapters of Nellie Bly's fascinating account of her trip around the world, and sampled the excellent luncheon that had appeared on a nearby table when she wasn't looking, there was still no sign of Kal.

Uneasily, Chloe wondered how long Jor-El's "training" session was going to last. Even someone with Kal's strength could hardly enjoy being confined for hours while being force-fed endless information. Unable to sit still once the thought had occurred to her, she tossed her book aside and pushed through the double doors into the main part of the Fortress, mentally rolling up her sleeves as she prepared to confront Kal's tormentor.

To her surprise, she arrived to find the hall completely deserted. Wherever Kal was, it wasn't here; his cage of light had disappeared and, apparently, once he'd been free to go….he'd gone elsewhere.

Brow furrowing, Chloe fought an unexpectedly strong wave of disappointment. _He could have at least told me he'd be late_, she thought, resentfully. _I guess it didn't occur to him that I'd worry._

The realization that this hurt her came as a shock. She reminded herself, sternly, that it made no sense to overreact. After all, lovers or not, they'd only just met. Kal probably had other things to do. Maybe he'd gotten bored and decided to get an early start on his "destiny" by conquering a kingdom or two, just to get in a little practice.

It would be silly to let his neglect bother her, no matter how much she missed the feel of his arms around her. Or craved the searing touch of his fingertips on her bare skin.

With a start, she noticed that her jewel-encrusted slippers were treading on thick carpet, rather than the smooth crystalline floor of the Fortress. Somehow, she'd returned to the library without any clear memory of how she'd gotten there.

Settling back into her chair, she tried to shove her jumbled thoughts aside and immerse herself again in Nellie Bly's amazing adventures, but found that it was impossible to concentrate. Even the slightest movement, imagined or real, made her jump, and the silence was the most distracting of all.

Kal, she decided irritably, was the most annoying man in the world. No, she corrected, scratch that. He was the most annoying man in _two_ worlds, and possibly more. When she hadn't wanted to meet him, he'd shown up right away; now that she was dressed in her best and waiting anxiously, he was nowhere to be seen.

Laying down her book in disgust, she started to rise, intending to explore more of the Fortress, when a sudden breeze blew past her. Warm lips brushed her cheek, as an unseen voice whispered cheerily from behind, "Did you miss me?"

Chloe froze. Keeping her expression carefully neutral, she reclaimed her book, opened it randomly, and pretended to read. "Oh, is that you, Kal? I didn't expect you so soon."

His breath tickled her ear. "Your book's upside down."

Hastily righting it, she darted a glance over her shoulder, only to discover that Kal had already disappeared. "Thanks," she replied tartly, knowing he must still be nearby, enjoying a chuckle at her expense. The thought made her cheeks burn. "I was just getting to the good part. Nellie's about to meet the Emperor of China." Turning the page, she kept her eyes focused downwards. "I'll be with you when I'm done."

The next instant, Chloe was scooped up in his arms, her head pressing against his shoulder while her gown's heavy folds trailed to the floor. One large palm was stretched just above her face, blocking her vision as she struggled to catch her breath. Rebelliously, she craned her neck this way and that, eager to dodge his intervening hand and catch a glimpse of his face, but Kal was too quick for her.

"Sorry I'm late," she heard him murmur from above as she made one more frustrated attempt to peer over the edge of his closed fingers. "I came as soon as I could." There was a pause, and he added, in the same indulgent tone her father had used when she was twelve, "I have a surprise for you."

Huffing, she tried, unsuccessfully, to wriggle out of his grasp. "I'm not in the mood right now. Go away."

The low rumble in his chest sounded suspiciously like laughter. Angrily, she renewed her struggle, but Kal's easy grip was unbreakable. Gently, he turned her face against the folds of his tunic, holding it in place with light pressure. "I'll show you."

Spitting out a mouthful of cotton, Chloe was about to protest, but a gust of wind snatched her words away. Kal's hold relaxed, allowing her to slip to her feet as he steadied her from behind. Glints of blue-tinted crystal told her that he'd carried her to a corridor in the Fortress.

She felt his hands on her head, directing her gaze forward with gentle pressure. Her mouth fell open as she stared at what lay ahead.

"You said you wanted trees," he remarked, releasing her.

They stood on the threshold of the largest garden Chloe had ever seen, lush and inviting under an enormous dome of glass. Outside the dome, she could see the rosy haze of dawn washing across acres of snow and ice; inside, a small lawn, smooth as green velvet, stretched out on either side of a winding path that sparkled in the daylight as if strewn with crushed gemstones. Trees large and small bordered the lawn and, from a small hill on one side, a silvery stream cascaded over rocks into a clear pool.

Inhaling the fragrance of flowers, Chloe hiked up her hem and stepped onto the path cautiously, feeling as if she were in a dream. As she wandered along, she spotted rose bushes, and colorful mosaics of wildflowers, tucked into clearings between the trees. Off in one distant part of the garden, strange trees with slim, branchless trunks bent gracefully over bushes bursting with exotic blossoms in vivid reds, pinks and golds.

"Is it real?" she breathed.

She heard Kal keeping pace close behind her, although she knew better than to turn her head; it would be useless to test the reflexes of someone who could move faster than the wind.

"Yes," he replied, with a note of pride, then added, a little more modestly, "Well….mostly. I asked my father for a little help. I didn't want to keep you waiting too long."

She halted so abruptly that anyone but Kal would have bumped into her from behind. "Hold it. Do you mean that you just made this…._now_?"

His voice brightened. "Do you like it?"

Chloe felt a huge grin spreading across her face as she swept her skirts up again and crossed the lawn on her way to the little pool. "Where were you when I tried to start a vegetable garden?"

"I could add one of those," he offered, following her with a giant stride that matched one of his footsteps to two or three of hers. "I'm a pretty good farmer."

His words had a sobering effect on her. Surveying the visible proof of Kal's seemingly limitless power, she thought of the farmers in her own land.

"I wish you'd been around to help when the fire in the sky destroyed all our crops," she sighed, slowing to a halt at the edge of the pool. "Think of all the good you could have done."

There was no reply. The silence stretched on so long that Chloe frowned doubtfully and almost risked glancing backward.

"Kal? Are you still there?"

His voice was so low that she could barely hear it. "I'm sorry about that. And I will help, I promise."

Chloe wondered why he was apologizing. "It wasn't your fault, Kal. But thanks for the offer of help. I know a lot of people who could use it." She sighed again, running a finger absent-mindedly over the pearl-and-gold trim along her neckline, as a familiar face surfaced in her mind's eye.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

She wished the face wasn't so clear in her memory. Especially since she knew she'd never see him again. "I was just remembering a farmer who was a special friend," she said quietly.

"Oh? Who?" he asked, sounding interested.

"His name is Kent." She hesitated, reluctant to tell him more, but, invited by his continuing silence, she went on. "I only saw him once, years ago, but I've never met anyone else like him. He was strange, but…..sweet. He made me want to protect him." She smiled and shrugged. "I guess I can't expect you to understand that."

"Hmmph. You'd be surprised," he said, stiffly.

Chloe's smile deepened. Was Kal jealous? If so, she reflected, a little sadly, he had no reason to be. Kent was gone. "He lost his farm, and his parents. Wherever he is, I hope he's well."

Bending her head over the pool, she examined her reflection in its mirrorlike surface, hardly recognizing the finely-dressed lady she saw as herself. Searching anxiously for any sign of Kal's reflection, she was disappointed, but not surprised, to discover that his face was nowhere to be seen. Obviously, he was smart enough to keep his distance.

Suddenly, in the pool, she saw the reflection of two large hands reaching for her shoulders; at the same time, she felt Kal's warmth seep through the heavy silk fabric of her dress. On one wrist, she caught the brief flash of gold.

Eyes widening slightly, she leaned forward very, very slowly, hoping to get a better view.

Meanwhile, Kal spoke reassuringly. "I'm sure Kent is fine. And, Chloe…."

His hands released her so quickly that she nearly toppled headlong into the pool.

"Nice try," he finished, amusement creeping back into his voice.

Chloe's reflection glared up at her from the water. Straightening quickly, she pointedly ignored his comment and searched for a way to change the subject.

Raising her hand, she pointed to an odd ripple moving quickly across the pond.

"What's…."

Before she could finish, a large, dark fin broke the surface for an instant, then dove back down as quickly as it had appeared. A second later, the head of what appeared to be an enormous catfish emerged at the edge of the water near Chloe's feet, set with a pair of unexpectedly soft, brown eyes. They stared up at her so hopefully that Chloe couldn't help but smile.

"Who are you?" she cooed, her annoyance at Kal forgotten. Several feet further out in the pond, a glistening tail popped up and began to sway lazily in the water.

"He's not really there," Kal supplied from behind her back. "That is, he's solid enough, but he's just an illusion. I asked Jor-El to put a few animals in the garden to liven it up a little. This one's from….the place where I was born."

Chloe's ears perked at his quick retreat from the name of his home world. She put on her most innocent look, continuing to make affectionate noises at the strange but somehow loveable creature. "Oh, good boy! So you're from Krypton?"

At his audible gasp, she almost laughed out loud. "How do you know about Krypton?" he demanded, in a gratifyingly incredulous tone.

A wicked grin was spreading across her features, but she didn't care. It was so much fun to have _Kal_ off-balance, for a change. "I have my sources," she declared airily.

"Jor-El," he murmured, with a new note of respect in his voice. "But _how_…."

"You dared me to do my worst," she replied smugly, savoring the moment. Blowing an affectionate kiss to the big fish, she gathered her skirts up again and began to stroll along the banks of the pool. "He showed me your hometown—it looked amazing, by the way—and I saw your mother." She paused. "She was amazing, too." Her voice lowered. "I'm so sorry, Kal."

She felt him step closer, although he was still careful to stay out of range of the reflecting pool. "I wish I could remember her, and my real father. At least Jor-El left me his memory to help me."

Chloe frowned. In her opinion, the words "Jor-El" and "help" didn't belong in the same sentence. "Jor-El's memory is certainly one of a kind," she replied tactfully, then switched back to her original subject. "What about your mother? She must have left you something, too."

"She did. A bracelet."

She caught her breath excitedly, seeing a chance to tease a little more information from Kal. "Your bracelet?"

To hide her interest, Chloe turned to a clump of tall bushes and pretended to admire the flocks of butterflies adorning the colorful blossoms. She held one lavender bloom to her nose and inhaled its fragrance appreciatively.

"Not mine," he answered. "Yours."

Her head jerked up in surprise, and she released a flower-laden branch, setting off a cloud of fluttering orange-and-black wings. Momentarily distracted, she followed them as they ascended to the top of the protective dome.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?"

His remark interrupted her reverie. "I….yes, I love butterflies," she replied, still thinking about the bracelet. "My mother always said that they were messengers of hope. Nature's way of telling us never to give up."

"Your mother was right." The intensity in his quiet voice sent a warm tingle down her spine as she sensed him drawing nearer. The next moment, her back rested against his broad chest.

With a small sigh of pleasure, she settled in, closing her eyes contentedly. "Speaking of bracelets, my mother had one too, made of golden butterflies," she told him. "It was my favorite gift from her."

His fingers played with her hair as he asked, softly, "Where is it now?"

Chloe stiffened, worried that Kal might not like the answer. "I, um, gave it to someone."

"Kent?"

Since Kal had already guessed, there was no point in denying it. She nodded, her cheek brushing the fresh-smelling fabric of his tunic.

"He must have been very important to you."

"I never had the chance to find out," she replied, truthfully. "But…he could have been."

"I see."

His tone was hard for her to read. Was Kal regretful? Sad? Jealous? She couldn't tell.

"Tell me more about your mother's bracelet," she prompted, anxious to shift attention away from Kent. "What's so special about it? And while we're at it, what's so special about yours?"

One strong arm curled around her, gathering her even closer. "You never give up, do you?"

"Not when it sounds this important," she said, impatiently, trying not to think about his soft lips, so close and yet so maddeningly far away. It took all of her will power not to sneak a glance upward, knowing that he'd be gone as soon as she tried.

"It's a soulmate bracelet."

"Come again?"

"On Krypton, couples exchanged bracelets at their bonding—that's like a marriage, only more permanent," he explained. "Bonding meant that a couple would be together for life. It meant they were soulmates."

His lips brushed lightly over the top of her head, sending a quiver through her body. "One day soon, that will be us."

Her brow furrowed, sensing that there was something he hadn't said. "'One day soon'? Why not now?"

Kal's hesitation wasn't a good sign. Chloe, engulfed in his huge embrace, was instantly on alert.

He sighed. "Jor-El has my mother's bracelet, and he won't tell me where it is. He says that you need to prove yourself worthy first."

_Jor-El_, she mused. _I should have known._

Another, more disturbing, thought made her stiffen. "Hold it. If bracelets are gifts between soulmates, who gave you yours?"

Kal's soft laughter shook her as she leaned against him. "That's a secret."

Chloe pressed her mouth into a thin line, convinced that he was taunting her. "I suppose it must have been a girl you knew before you came to the Fortress," she remarked, as casually as she could. "You know, back when you lived in the mortal world."

She felt Kal go motionless with a perverse sense of satisfaction. "What makes you think I lived with humans before?" he asked, cautiously.

She grinned. "I have my…."

"And don't tell me you have your sources! There's no way Jor-El would ever have told you _that_." There was an awkward pause. "Um, assuming that it was true, that is."

Chloe's grin widened. Whatever Jor-El was teaching Kal, it certainly wasn't how to bluff convincingly.

As gratifying as it was to trap Kal into an admission, the knowledge that he was wearing some other girl's bracelet still rankled. Not, of course, that she was bothered by any of Kal's previous relationships, she thought quickly.

It was just that Kal had deceived her. He'd claimed that this girl's trinket was the "secret of his power."

She pulled away from him, his arms opening at once to release her. "That's only a sample," she declared to the air as she marched forward, neither knowing nor caring where she was going, as long as she put some distance between herself and Kal. "I haven't even _started_ to investigate yet….."

"Um, Chloe….."

She ignored him. "You'll see. I bet by next week I'll know every secret you've got."

"Chloe, there's a big root….."

"Including who gave you that bracel……AIEEEEEE!"

Her foot throbbed with pain as it struck something unyielding. There was just time enough for her to panic at the dizzying sensation of plunging headlong into the air before she was caught in mid-fall.

Once again, her face was pressed against Kal's tunic while his outstretched palm carefully blocked her vision. _Third time in a row without a single kiss_, she reflected ruefully. Not that she wanted one, she reminded herself sternly. Not from a man who'd lied to her.

"Let me go, please," she muttered into his chest through clenched teeth.

"But…."

"NOW!"

He sighed. "OK, if that's what you want."

There was a faint note of amusement in his voice as he released her. An instant later, when she plunged feet first into shockingly cold water, she knew why.

Completely immersed, she opened her eyes and stared into the clear depths, watching the folds of her heavy gown billow around her while she fumed inwardly. Kal must have been holding her over the pool, she thought angrily. Wherever he was, he must be laughing his head off.

Grimly, she struggled to reach the surface, but the soggy silken fabric slowed her down. Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a long, dark shape arrow toward her; the next instant, the big finned fish she'd seen earlier was hovering, perfectly still, directly in front of her. Without stopping to question, she grabbed hold, and the fish shot upward.

They broke the surface together, and Chloe clung to the fish for support as she gasped for breath and surveyed her bedraggled gown with dismay. "I told Jor-El I wasn't cut out to be a princess," she muttered glumly.

Something nudged her softly, and she turned to meet a pair of sympathetic brown eyes. "You know what?" she murmured, with a hint of a smile, "I like you."

From somewhere above her, Kal's too-cheery voice called out. "Are you alright?"

"Better than I like _him_," she finished, pointedly.

Shaking the droplets off her face, she searched with narrowed eyes for her tormentor.

"Up here," the voice called again, and this time she could just make out Kal's tall figure, hidden behind a screen of leaves, standing on a massive branch overhanging the water. "Do you need help getting out?"

"Don't bother," she replied, darkly. "I'd rather stay in the water." She ran a hand over the back of her new companion, whose tail was moving along the surface, keeping rhythm with her strokes. "You realize," she whispered to her new friend, "this means war."

"I heard that," Kal chimed in. "Can two play?"

At once the sunlight disappeared, plunging the garden in blackness. "Uh-oh," Chloe said, patting her new friend reassuringly.

A large, warm presence materialized in the water next to her, drawing her closer with a familiar touch. "You're my prisoner," he breathed, against her cheek. "Do you surrender?

Her chin lifted defiantly. "Do your worst."

She heard him growl with pleasure as he set his mouth against hers.


	9. Chapter 8

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Eight**

For one blissful moment, Chloe forgot that she was treading water in total darkness, weighed down by a soggy gown of ruined silk.

Kal was kissing her.

It was about time.

Submerged neck-deep, she clung to him for support as his tongue explored her mouth eagerly. Chloe arched her neck invitingly, and, with an appreciative rumble, he began to slide lower, dropping small kisses on her cheek and chin while her head tipped backwards into the pool and Kal's long body stretched out over her.

The water lapped around her ears, but it no longer felt chilly. When he began to nibble on the delicate skin near her collarbone, she moaned in ecstasy and pushed her body up against his, impatiently demanding more. Kal responded enthusiastically; as he worked his way down to her low-cut neckline with slow, delicious touches, she felt him breathe excitedly, inhaling and exhaling more rapidly while his fingers pushed underneath her bodice. When his tongue flicked over the top of her breast, Chloe gasped.

Lost in a haze of pleasure, she was, at first, only vaguely aware that something was tickling her feet. The realization that it wasn't Kal puzzled her at first, until another light nudge jogged her memory.

Chloe burst out giggling. For an illusion, her fishy new friend had a lot of personality. And, obviously, he hated being ignored.

To her disappointment, the outburst distracted Kal from his very enjoyable attentions. "What's so funny?"

"We're not alone," she whispered. Hearing a small splash nearby, she nodded in that direction, guessing that her friend had just surfaced. "I think he's jealous."

Kal let out a frustrated groan. "Too bad," he said gruffly, straightening in the water and slipping his arms underneath hers. "You're mine."

The possessiveness in his tone sent a guilty shiver of delight down her spine. How many times, she thought ruefully, had she told her sister Lana that there was more to life than belonging to a man? And yet, hearing Kal claim her made her glow with pleasure.

It wasn't like her at all. But as she laced her arms around his neck, peering into the shadows that hid his face from her, she decided she didn't care. Being with Kal felt too good.

He tightened his grip wordlessly, tucking her close against his wet tunic, and she felt them rise from the pool. Their bodies fit comfortably together as they emerged and hovered in the darkness, water streaming from their clothes.

Below them, the sound of splashing grew louder and more insistent. Chloe aimed an apologetic smile downward. "See you later."

Kal snorted impatiently. "Come on, Chloe, he's not even real."

Something that might have been a large tail fin slapped against the water, showering them both with spray and sending Chloe into a fit of giggles. "That's one for you, big fella."

Kal gave another snort, then shifted their position in mid-air. The light breeze on her cheek told her they were picking up speed as they moved through the pitch-black garden.

There was nothing supporting her except Kal's strong arms, and she couldn't see where they were going, but it never occurred to her to be afraid. Kal, she thought, would make sure she was safe.

The further they drifted, the warmer the air grew, until it reminded Chloe of a hot summer night in the forests back home. By the time they began to descend, she was sweating inside her soggy clothes.

Kal set her down so carefully that she scarcely felt it when her feet touched down on moist, springy turf. "This part of the garden came from the southern islands," he explained. "I thought the heat would feel good after your, um, little swim."

Chloe inhaled deeply, drinking in the fragrance of dozens of invisible blossoms, none of them familiar. "I've read about those islands," she said. "They sounded too beautiful to believe. No winter, golden shores, turquoise water." She thought, longingly, of all the places she'd wanted to see in her world, before Kal had taken her to his. "I'd like to visit them one day."

"We will," Kal promised, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze, "just as soon as I finish my training."

Rolling her eyes, she shrugged off Kal's hold and reached behind her, struggling to undo the small, slippery fabric buttons on the back of her wet dress. "Well, when we do, remind me to wear something else. Can you get me out of this jewel-studded hothouse?"

Predictably, the gown was gone before she'd finished her question, leaving her clad only in her lace-trimmed slip. Feeling as if she'd just shucked a suit of armor, she grinned her thanks in the direction of Kal's looming, shadowy figure.

The damp, silken folds of the slip were practically pasted onto her chest and hips. And, judging from the appreciative rumble in Kal's throat, he was enjoying the view.

Long fingers cupped her chin and his thumb stroked her cheek, sending a pleasant tingle through every nerve ending. Purring happily, she leaned into his touch, curling her hand around his wrist. Somewhere, as if from a long way away, she heard his bracelet jangle softly.

Closing her eyes, she imagined those fingers sliding down to stroke her elsewhere. As her breath came faster, her hold on his wrist tightened, and she dug her nails in around the slender chain.

His hand jerked away so abruptly that Chloe almost lost her balance. "I wish you weren't so curious," he said, accusingly.

With a shock, Chloe realized what he meant. "I wasn't trying to steal your bracelet, Kal, honest!" she exclaimed, aghast. "As if I even could. You can't think I'd be that stupid."

He sighed. "Not stupid. Just persistent."

"I didn't mean to!"

"Hmmph. You can't resist a mystery."

Anxious to close the subject and resume where they'd left off, Chloe tried again. "I guess you're right," she conceded, soothingly. "But be fair, Kal. I'm not nearly as obsessed with your secret as I am with the fire in the sky."

She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard Kal draw in a breath.

When he didn't reply, she continued. "I've been trying to solve that puzzle for years. One day, I will."

"That's what I'm afraid of," he muttered, for once without his usual confidence.

No sooner had Chloe's brows shot up at this unexpected reply than long arms swept her into a breathless hug. The clean scent of damp cotton surrounded her as she nestled against his tunic, too happy, for the moment, to bother with questions.

He whispered in her ear, his voice shaking with surprising intensity. "I'm going to make you forget everything else but us. No more fire in the sky, no more curse. Just us."

Long fingers kneaded the muscles under her shoulder blades, and Chloe drifted into a blissful trance as the last remnants of tension melted away. This strange Fortress might be awe-inspiring, but, in spite of the short time she'd spent here, it was already beginning to feel like home.

No, she thought, that wasn't right. It was _Kal_ who felt like home.

"Just us," she echoed, dreamily.

The hands worked their way lower down towards the base of her spine as Kal's breath tickled her cheek. "The other stuff's not that important."

Chloe's head popped up from his shoulder. "Hold it," she said, firmly, feeling herself snap out of her trance. "I'm not giving up just yet."

His hands slid further down to fondle her buttocks through the satin fabric. "Not even if I distract you?"

Chloe, feeling her heart begin to race, bit her lip and struggled to keep her expression calm. "Nope."

Unfortunately, she could tell from the bottled laughter in his reply that Kal wasn't fooled. "Hmm. How about this?"

At the same time, something pinched her behind, quickly but thoroughly. Chloe yelped, scowled, and aimed a daggerlike look at the shadowy head bending over her.

Kal, she decided, needed to be taught a lesson. "Just for that," she announced, defiantly, "I'll make it my business to try harder. By this time next week, I bet I'll know all your secrets."

"Is that right?" he asked, a little too softly.

Chloe, ignoring the ominous undertone in his amused voice, added, "And there won't be a thing you can do about it."

"Don't be too sure," he murmured, mildly. "I might be forced to retaliate."

She had a bad feeling that the situation was rapidly spinning out of control, but she was too annoyed to care. "Just try," she challenged.

No sooner had the words left her mouth than the darkness blurred around her, and she found herself, still dressed in her slip, stretched out on her stomach across a pair of well-muscled thighs. Two hands pinned her down lightly but firmly, while her arms and her legs flailed in the pitch-black void. "Hey!"

"I warned you," she heard Kal reply from somewhere far above her in a gleefully wicked voice. A split-second later, the smack of a large palm against a sensitive portion of her anatomy sent shock waves through her system.

"_Ow_!" Chloe gasped, more from surprise than pain. The blow stung, but only slightly; Kal was obviously holding back his strength.

What really hurt was the humiliation. "Let me go!"

He allowed her just enough time to make another useless attempt to free herself before landing a second stroke. Chloe, seething, felt her cheeks burn, both on her face and elsewhere.

"Some overlord," she fumed. "Are you planning on spanking the world into submission, too?"

Kal ignored her jibe. "Ask me to stop," he answered reasonably, punctuating his words with another well-aimed attack.

Chloe squirmed. "Cut-this-out-NOW," she spat out in a single breath.

_Thwack!_ "Nicely," he added, sounding even more maddeningly reasonable.

Chloe stubbornly pressed her mouth shut, determined to outlast him if at all possible. The problem was, Kal showed no signs of giving in first.

And, to make matters worse, the flush of warmth spreading through her body had nothing to do with anger. To her dismay, she was growing so hot and moist inside that Kal was sure to catch on before long.

Apparently, he already had. After making contact with her rear end one more time, his palm cupped one cheek possessively and rubbed back and forth in a long, slow, seductive motion. Chloe panted as she tried, without success, to dodge his touch, cursing her lack of self-control.

She hated herself for wanting him so badly. She'd been tossed over his knees like a two-year-old, and yet, the only thing on her mind right now was the searing heat of his palm, and the feel of his growing erection as it pressed into her stomach.

She heard Kal's breath coming faster, too. "Say 'please,'" he murmured roughly, patting the silken material over her hips with hands that had begun to tremble.

By now, Chloe was too overcome to trust her voice. Knowing that she couldn't hold on much longer, she sidled further up on his lap and rubbed herself against the hardening bulge underneath his tunic.

"You first," she rasped, her throat so dry that she could barely get the words out.

There was a quick, strangled cry, and the next thing Chloe knew, her back was cushioned on a bed of sweet-smelling grass. Kal's dark form straddled her, leaning closer to push up the hem of her slip, which, apparently, he'd been in too much of a hurry to take off.

She felt his head bending close to her ear. "Please," he mouthed, as his hands trailed up her thighs. They fell apart invitingly, and his fondling touch sent fresh quivers of delight through Chloe's whole body.

Kal blew out a shaky gust of air, then stretched over her, nudging his dripping erection into her opening. She felt him shudder as he pushed past her tightness and slid back and forth in a slow, delicious rhythm.

As before, his deliberate, cautious pace drove her wild. She wanted more of him inside her. She wanted him to drive into her and fill her until she screamed. With an impatient moan, she grabbed his shoulders and locked her legs around his hips, urging him on.

Kal let out a triumphant growl and scooped her up off the ground in one easy motion, holding her against him while he thrust harder and faster, setting off a series of ecstatic spasms inside Chloe's body. She drove her fingernails into his back so deeply that it would have left scars on anyone else, but her reaction only seemed to inflame Kal even more; he pumped his hips wildly, burying his entire length in her again and again.

Past all coherent thought, Chloe hung on, vaguely aware that she was muttering nonsense between clenched teeth. Finally, no longer able to speak, she threw her head back soundlessly as Kal came inside her.

At exactly the same time, a face that should have been familiar flashed briefly in her mind. Too tired to wonder about it, she sagged against her lover with a long sigh of fulfillment.

It wasn't until Kal had lowered her carefully back to the ground and nestled comfortably next to her that she realized, with a twinge of guilt, that the face she'd seen had been Kent's.

"What is it?" Kal asked, hooking an arm around her.

"Nothing," she replied quickly, kicking herself for being so transparent. And for no reason; it wasn't as if Kent had meant anything to her, after all.

Still, it felt, uneasily, like a betrayal.

Fortunately, Kal didn't press the issue. "Believe it or not," he murmured, "it's morning outside. Would you like something special to start the day?"

Kal was right, she realized with a shock, remembering the rosy light she'd seen beyond the garden's glass dome. She'd been so busy dealing with Jor-El, the Fortress, and, most especially, Kal, that she'd lost all track of time.

The pitch-black forest they were lying in didn't help, either. "How about some sunshine?" she asked, blinking into the gloom.

Longingly, she thought of the world she'd left behind, where the sun rose and set the way it was supposed to. Somewhere in that world, her father and her sister were probably having breakfast together; Gabriel would be discussing his chores while Lana shared juicy tidbits of court gossip.

_They must be worried sick about me_, she reflected, sadly. _I wish I could let them know I'm alright._

Kal gave her a gentle squeeze. "My sunshine's right here," he said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

Chloe snorted. "Nice line, but that's not what I meant. I'm more interested in actual, you know, light."

"Don't you know that it's always darkest before the dawn?"

"Now you're just being irritating," she complained.

"Well, it's true," he said defensively. "My—a friend of mine said it all the time."

Chloe's ears perked. There it was again, Kal's mysterious other life. "Whoever your 'friend' was, he must've loved platitudes," she remarked dryly.

"He was a good man," Kal said, quietly. "Anyway," he added quickly, in a much brighter tone, "I was telling you about a special treat."

Taking the hint, she reluctantly dropped the subject of Kal's "friend." "You already gave me one," she replied in a seductive purr.

His low chuckle tickled her ear. "Nice line," he teased, "but that's not what I meant."

After a quick brush of his lips against hers, he was gone, leaving only a telltale breeze. "Kal?" she called out uncertainly, as she stood up, smoothed her mussed hair, and adjusted her slip.

A few feet away, a pair of eyes appeared, glowing like embers in the darkness. Just as he had before, Kal was shooting fire from his eyes, but this time they weren't pointed at her. Blinking in surprise, but not alarm, she followed the direction of their gaze and saw a ruddy light surrounding a cluster of what appeared to be berries.

She could feel the heat radiating from the berries intensify; they began to pop open, revealing small beans that gave off an earthy, stimulating aroma.

"Now, that's what I call a pick-me-up," she said appreciatively. "What are those beans?"

Kal's eyes still burned like twin furnaces. "They're the main ingredient for an awesome drink. In Venice, they call it '_caffe'_." She watched in fascination as his pupils changed from crimson to orange-red, and the fiery glow spread to include one or two other clusters. "I'll try to roast a few more for you."

Suddenly, the leaves around the berries began to crackle with flame. "Uh-oh," she heard Kal mutter.

An icy wind, strong enough to almost knock Chloe off her feet, blew out the blaze at once, plunging the garden back into darkness. The acrid scent of the burnt beans filled the air.

"Sorry," Kal said, laying a steadying hand on her shoulder. "I should've been more careful."

"Don't apologize," she replied cheerily, revived by the beans' aroma. "After all, the fire nearly gave me a peek at your face."

He laughed. "It'd take more than a little flame to do _that_," he remarked, indulgently.

Afterwards, Chloe was never sure how the idea came to her. Maybe it was the _caffe_ beans. But when it did, she had to fight to keep the excitement from showing on her face.

A little flame might not be enough to reveal Kal's face….but it would be enough to light an oil lamp. An oil lamp like the one in her library.

And here, in Kal's garden, was everything a shepherd's daughter might require to start that flame.

Chloe grinned, and leaned back into Kal's embrace.


	10. Chapter 9

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Nine**

Days and nights were impossible to count in the Fortress, but it seemed to Chloe that her time with Kal had stretched into weeks, each one more enjoyable than the last. Meanwhile, she divided her free time between the garden and the library in search of firemaking materials.

Unfortunately, her task was harder than she'd thought; the twigs she found in the forest broke when she tried to rub them together, and although there were plenty of sharp rocks for striking sparks, there was no steel to strike sparks from.

Now, after endless failed attempts, she sat alone at her writing desk, drumming her fingers thoughtfully against its polished surface while she reviewed her lack of progress. Her efforts to learn more about Kal's past life seemed to have stalled. Both he and Jor-El were more than willing to talk to her about his lost world, Krypton (in fact, the magnificence of Krypton had practically become Jor-El's favorite subject), but any mention of where, and when, Kal had first arrived in the mortal world was met, in the case of Jor-El, by stony silence, and, in the case of Kal, by either soft laughter, or a kiss.

Not that she was complaining about that, exactly. Kal's methods of distracting her had very, very definite benefits.

But, in a way, that was also her biggest problem. It was getting harder for her to connect the gentle lover who came to her in the dark with Jor-El's threats of future world domination. She couldn't imagine her thoughtful, considerate companion as any kind of dictator, even a benevolent one, and she'd noticed, lately, that Kal himself had begun to sound less enthusiastic about the idea.

With time and a little persistence, she felt sure that she'd be able to change his mind. She'd bet her life on it.

But, she thought uneasily, was she willing to bet the fate of the world on it?

Because no matter what she might believe Kal _would_ do, the issue was what he _could_ do.

She'd seen enough of Kal's power to know the danger, if Jor-El got his way. No armies could possibly stand against him. The very idea of fighting him was ridiculous; Kal would simply swat away attackers like bothersome flies and melt their weapons with a single glance. The thickest walls and the tallest battlements would tumble before him like sand castles swept away by the tide.

Once the people saw that, Kal's status as a living god would be sealed. She imagined herself standing by his side as his consort, watching other mortals line up to worship him and, with adoring smiles, sell themselves into slavery.

Chloe shook her head to clear away the nightmare vision. If she had anything to do with it, it would never come true. Solving Kal's many riddles might give her the clue she needed; at least, it seemed like a good place to start.

Why wasn't she allowed to see him? Where had he spent his mysterious past life? What was the secret behind his bracelet? Was it only a keepsake from an old girlfriend, or did it mean something more? Who was Kal, really?

And, most importantly, _how_ could she answer those questions?

Her eyes strayed to the oil lamp, which sat tantalizingly on the corner of the desk next to the pile of dry twigs, grass and stones she'd collected over the last several days, none of which had produced so much as a single puff of smoke. It was maddening to think that all she really needed was a single spark. Kal could have done it with one look, but since that wasn't an option, she'd settle for a simple piece of steel.

Which, of course, was exactly what she didn't have. Given a choice, Chloe gladly would have traded all her jewels, her gowns, and even her books, for a knife, fork or spoon that wasn't enameled or gilded. She wondered, briefly, if Jor-El was deliberately trying to drive her crazy.

Her mouth pressed into a resolute line as she decided that she needed to try harder. More than anything, she wanted to see the face of her lover.

************

Later that day, after she'd gone to bed, she heard Kal return from an unusually long training session and cuddle up behind her, murmuring a tired apology. Rolling over to greet him with an eager smile, she listened as soft snores rose from the pillow, and realized, in disbelief, that he was already asleep.

It was the first time he'd seemed even slightly fatigued by those sessions. Sleepily, she wondered what Jor-El might be up to now.

After tossing and turning for a few minutes, she threw off the sheets, too restless to drift off herself. Stepping into the slippers next to her bed, she felt around for the robe she'd left draped over a nearby chair and wrapped it around her as she headed toward the library doors, careful not to disturb her inexplicably exhausted lover.

By now, she was used to the soft lighting that sprang to life as soon as she'd entered the hall. As usual, she headed to her writing desk, glared briefly at the still-unlit oil lamp, and picked up a half-read book that rested next to the desk's embossed leather blotter, intending to read herself back to sleep. As she did, she glanced down automatically and froze.

Peeking out from underneath the edge of the blotter was the unmistakeable gleam of steel.

Scarcely daring to breathe, she drew out a long, sharp letter opener shaped like a miniature dagger. How she'd missed it before, she had no clue, but this was no time to question her luck.

All those years she'd spent building campfires paid off; it only took a minute or two for Chloe to strike a spark off the blade with a rock, and then she was grinning triumphantly as the lamp's long wick burst into life. Lifting it with trembling hands, she shielded the flame carefully against the breeze while she hurried to the bedroom door.

On the threshold, she hesitated, swallowing nervously. _It's now or never_, she told herself sternly. _Do it fast, and he'll never know._

The time had come to shed some light onto Kal's mystery. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward into the darkened chamber.

She was grateful, now, for Kal's deep sleep; the only sound in the room when she entered, on tip-toe, was his soft, regular breathing. In the flickering light, she could just make out his large figure, mounded under gleaming sheets, so tall that his feet extended over the edge of the mattress. Far away, on the opposite end of the bed, a mass of dark, tousled hair spilled out across the pillow.

His head was turned away from her. Frowning, Chloe scurried to the other side of the bed and held out the lamp, trying her best to hold it steady. It dipped slightly, spilling more oil onto the wick as she lowered it, carefully, to reveal his features.

Fed by the oil, the flame leapt high as she stared down at the face of Kent.

It had been six years since she'd seen him, but there was no mistaking Kent's strong profile, with its high cheekbones, long lashes, and full lips. Judging from the small, upward curve of his mouth, he was having pleasant dreams.

She suddenly became aware that the lamp was tipping too far forward. She jerked it upright just in time to keep it from dripping onto her sleeping lover as she sank down on the mattress, eyes still riveted on his face, while a single thought echoed in her mind: _I should have known._

Kal's odd familiarity had puzzled her from the first. Now, she understood why everything about him—his voice, his touch, his warmth—had made her feel as if she were reuniting with an old friend. The only thing that had kept her from guessing the truth before now had been her logical brain, which refused to consider the possibility that an all-powerful demigod and a sick farmboy might actually be one and the same.

For once, she wished she'd forgotten about logic and paid more attention to her instincts. _Deep down, I must have known_, she realized. _If I hadn't, I'd be screaming right now. _

Something sparkled in the corner of her eye, and she moved the lamp to get a closer view. His long arm was flung out over the coverlet, exposing his wrist, which glittered in the ruddy light. Holding her breath, Chloe bent over it, no longer doubting what she would see.

A delicate chain of golden butterflies winked up at her, as bright and as beautiful as the day, all those years ago, that she'd given it to Kent, and asked him to remember her.

_"It's a soulmate bracelet,"_ Kal had told her.

The tiny golden creatures melted into a blur as Chloe's eyes filled with tears. Blinking, she shifted her gaze, and his handsome features swam back into view, still drowned in sleep.

At the sight, she bit her lip, fighting the urge to press a kiss on that smooth, peaceful forehead. Kent had known all along, better than she had, what her gift had really meant. She'd handed Kent her most cherished possession, not because she felt sorry for him, but because she'd wanted him to hold a part of herself. It was far more than a keepsake; it had been a pledge.

Before Kal had chosen her, she'd chosen him. Now that she understood that, there was no longer any need to feel guilty about seeing Kent's face when she was with Kal.

Finally, Chloe felt the two halves of her divided heart come together. _I love you_, she thought, her tears coming faster, and she leaned close to his face, forgetting all about the lamp.

It tilted forward, spilling drops of hot oil onto her lover's bare shoulder, and she watched in horror as his eyes flew open. They flashed like emeralds in the flickering light, focusing on her in surprise, rather than in pain.

Chloe's whole body was shaking like a leaf, but she forced herself to meet his astonished gaze levelly.

_Now you've done it_, she told herself_._

Jor-El had been very clear about what would happen if she was caught breaking her promise, and she had no doubt he'd meant what he'd said. Right now, though, it was Kal's reaction, not Jor-El's, that concerned her the most.

_At the very least, he'll be disappointed_, she thought, returning his blank stare apprehensively.

In stunned disbelief, she watched as the stare was replaced by a grin wide enough to light up the room all by itself. "I should have known you'd find a way," he murmured, in the warm voice she knew so well. Pushing himself up on his elbows, he inspected her in the lamplight with sparkling eyes. "Hello."

No mortal could possibly resist returning that grin. For a moment, Chloe forgot all about Jor-El's threats.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, as he sat upright.

The covers slipped from his chest, and Chloe sucked in a quick breath as Kal treated her to her first look at his broad torso. Obviously, she'd been missing out on a lot before. Her fingers itched to stroke those carved contours, now that she could see as well as feel them. She was so preoccupied that she didn't realize she was losing her grip on the lamp before it was too late.

Luckily, her lover rescued it before it fell. He turned back to her with the same earnest expression she'd last seen on Kent's face in the forest six years ago. "Jor-El said it was too dangerous. He said that no human could be allowed to know my weakness."

"Your weakness," she echoed, remembering how young Kent had twisted in agony in the underbrush, surrounded by glowing rocks. "Of course. The green rocks."

It was hard to believe that something so small could destroy power as monumental as Kal's. But it did explain Kal's reluctance to talk about the fire in the sky. "They cursed the kingdom," she observed quietly, never taking her eyes off him. "Did they curse you too, somehow?"

Even in the flame's ruddy glow, his face seemed to pale. "No," he replied, dropping his gaze. He pressed his mouth into a grim line, as if debating whether to continue.

"You don't have to answer that," she said, softly.

"I want to." Kal drew a breath without raising his eyes. "I'm the curse, Chloe," he said slowly. "I brought the rocks here from Krypton, when I arrived." He swallowed, darting a nervous glance at her through a thick fringe of lashes. "What happened is all my fault."

She stared, speechless, as the realization gradually sank in that Kal had just handed her the answer to the biggest mystery in the kingdom. Still, the revelation that the so-called "enchanted" rocks weren't enchanted after all wasn't nearly as shocking as Kal's unexplained sense of guilt.

Kal hung his head. "I'm sorry, Chloe."

A wave of anger swept over her. "You ought to be," she snapped. Ignoring his hurt look, she reached up to cup his chin, turning his face to meet hers. "You've been blaming yourself for years for something you didn't do," she finished, sternly.

The honest confusion in those sad eyes softened her tone. "I've seen Krypton in Jor-El's crystals, Kal. When you left, you were a baby. And even as a baby, you'd seen more death and destruction than anyone in my kingdom ever will. You've suffered enough."

She smiled at his doubtful shrug. "Listen to me. You're not a curse, you're a blessing. You could do so much good."

Looking him in the eye, she pulled out her trump card. "I'll bet that's what your mortal parents told you."

She nearly burst out laughing at the look of comical surprise on his handsome face. "Can I help it if I have a good memory? You mentioned them when we first met. I'm guessing that they adopted you. That was pretty brave, and pretty wonderful, too. "

Sobering, she added, more softly, "I'm sorry you lost them. I owe them my thanks. The whole world does."

Slowly, she felt the tension drain from his body as his expression relaxed into a small, sad smile. "They would be proud of you."

"I wish you'd met them," he said, lifting his chin from her cupped palm and fixing her with a look that sent pleasant tingles down every nerve in her body. "They would have loved you."

The lamplight cast dancing patterns across his face as, slowly, it dipped closer to hers. Gazing at his expression of dazed delight, she decided that this moment, no matter the cost, was worth it.

To her endless disappointment, Kal chose that moment to jerk his head up and eye her in sudden alarm. "My father!"

Uh-oh. It had finally occurred to him. But Chloe wasn't ready to talk about Jor-El just yet.

"Don't change the subject," she said firmly. "Now, shut up and kiss me."

Smiling through his sigh, Kal circled her with his free arm and complied. Eyes open and arms laced around his broad shoulders, Chloe crushed her mouth against his hungrily, hoping that this moment would last forever.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

Bright light flooded the room so abruptly that even Kal was taken by surprise. The lamp he was holding thudded onto the thick carpet, which caught fire quickly as the lamp leaked oil.

He was out of bed to smother the flames before she could blink. After he'd put them out, he straightened, giving Chloe a chance, at last, to see her lover up close, full-length, and naked.

It was a magnificent view. She stared as he turned to face her with a puzzled crease in his forehead. "What?"

Chloe picked her jaw off from the floor. If by some miracle she survived Jor-El's punishment, she vowed that she would never again let Kal make love to her in the dark. "Wow."

Another voice boomed from everywhere and nowhere, cutting off her reply. _"This human has proven faithless,"_ Jor-El pronounced._ "I warned you, my son."_

As she'd expected, Jor-El was not nearly as forgiving as Kal. Chloe, shivering, wrapped her robe around her more tightly as the air in the chamber got colder. She looked at the ceiling, but knew that there was nothing she could say in her defense.

"I don't care," Kal called out. "We've chosen each other, Father. I'm wearing her bracelet. You can't undo that."

_"A mortal gift means nothing,"_ the cold voice said dismissively. _"Your true soulmate will be revealed when your mother's bracelet is found."_

Kal narrowed his eyes. "Then tell me where it is."

_"I have hidden it well,"_ Jor-El answered, imperturbably. _"Where only the most worthy human will ever discover it."_

"Hold it," Chloe cut in, hugging herself to keep warm. "Why is it up to me to find _Kal's_ bracelet?"

"Chloe _is_ worthy," Kal shot back at the same time.

_"And yet, she failed the very first test."_

Kal frowned suspiciously. "What test?"

Chloe almost forgot the cold as she realized what Jor-El meant. "The oil lamp. The steel," she murmured, mentally kicking herself for walking into Jor-El's trap.

She'd been so eager to learn the truth that it had never occurred to her to question the existence of the useless lamp, or the too-convenient appearance of that steel letter-opener on her writing desk. She had to hand it to Jor-El, though; he'd been careful not to make it seem too easy.

Come to think of it, she should've been suspicious about Kal's unexplained fatigue, too. It wouldn't surprise her a bit to discover that his father had arranged that as well, to encourage her to act quickly. Otherwise, she might have had time to wonder about all those coincidences.

"You set me up," she accused, as steadily as she could while her teeth were chattering.

_"I merely provided you with the means to break your promise. I did not force you."_

A hint of regret crept into Jor-El's voice. _"This was not my choice, my child. It was yours. I can allow nothing, not even you, to interfere with my son's destiny."_

Chloe screamed as an icy blast froze her to the bone. Dimly she became aware that the chamber's rich appointments had melted away. The bed she was seated on, and everything around it, had turned back into the same ice-hard crystal as the rest of the Fortress.

In spite of her agony, she felt a moment's sadness for the loss of her library. She'd miss it, almost as much as she missed Kal.

Already she was slipping into unconsciousness, too numb to feel the cold. Hazily, she could just make out the image of Kal's horrified face, bending over her.

His arms were around her, radiating warmth. Burrowing deeper into his embrace, she felt the chill recede from both body and mind as she listened to him growl at the air around them. "I won't let her die."

_"That is not your choice to make, my son,"_ came the calm answer._ "Now go. You have more important matters to attend to." _

"NO!"

There was a ring of command in his voice that made Chloe look up, startled. Kal had straightened and was glaring upward with glints of red in his eyes. "Stop now, or I'll take her away from here. And I won't return."

His steely tone seemed to take even Jor-El aback. The freezing gusts of wind died down, and in the brief silence that followed, Chloe felt a surge of pride that Kal, even after years of browbeating, could still defy his tyrannical father. As clever as Jor-El was, he'd obviously made the mistake of taking Kal's obedience for granted.

Kal was fighting back. Finally.

The voice softened, as if it were trying to sound reasonable. _"Unlike you, she is mortal, my son. She could never hope to share your life. That is for your true soulmate alone."_

"Why can't you accept that Chloe _is_ my soulmate?" Kal demanded.

_"You are far too young yet to know your own mind, Kal-El. That will come in time."_

Now that the winds had died down and she'd finally stopped shivering, Chloe felt strong enough to join the conversation. "You know, Jor-El, that's what all fathers say," she remarked to the ceiling.

Both Kal and his father were too busy arguing to pay attention. "Give us a chance to prove we're right," Kal insisted. "Please, Father," he added, tightening his hold on Chloe protectively.

Jor-El's already low voice dropped almost a full octave. _"Are you so sure, my son?"_

Kal's nod was brief, but firm. "Yes."

The silence stretched on for what seemed like minutes. "_Very well,"_ Jor-El said, reluctantly. _"Then you must bring me your mother's bracelet."_

"But we don't even know where to start looking!" Kal exclaimed angrily.

_"The crystals in the bracelet contain your mother Lara's memories."_ A tinge of sadness had crept into the voice. _"If you seek them diligently, they should call out to you."_

Chloe saw Kal's expression change as he stared into the empty air. "I never knew Lara," he said softly. "I'd give almost anything for Chloe and me to see those memories." His voice took on a pleading note. "Can't you help us more than that?"

Apparently, the mention of Kal's mother had a mellowing effect on Jor-El. He spoke heavily, as if the words were being dragged from him. _"Look first in the city of Metropolis."_

Chloe brightened. That sounded hopeful. "And if we find it? What then?"

"_The bracelet has the power to bond your life to Kal-El's,"_ Jor-El told her. _"As it bound Lara's to mine."_

Chloe listened to this encouraging news skeptically, all too aware that she'd almost been turned into an icicle. Cautiously, she asked, "What's the catch?"

_"You have one week," _the voice rapped out, resuming its usual chilly tone. _"That should be more than sufficient." _

She rolled her eyes. Jor-El had set them up again.

"_If you find it in the time I have set, you and Kal-El will be joined. If not, Kal-El must return here alone and complete his training."_

"What if I decide to stay with Chloe?" Kal challenged.

Jor-El must have been ready for that question, because the reply came at once. _"Return within a week, as measured by the yellow sun, or the light of that sun will be taken away from this planet."_

Kal's expression mirrored Chloe's horrified reaction. "I thought you wanted to _help_ humans," he accused, angrily.

_"That will be your choice, my son. If you do as I say, no harm will come to the humans."_

Chloe decided that she really, truly hated his smug superiority. The look of complete disgust on Kal's face told her that he must have been thinking the same thing. "He's setting us up to fail," he huffed.

She framed his face in her hands, rubbing her thumbs soothingly along his perfectly-sculpted cheekbones. "At least it's a chance," she said encouragingly. Even if all it meant was having Kal for one more week, Jor-El's deal was still something to be thankful for.

Kal nodded. "I agree, Father," he called out, and gently pushed Chloe's head against his shoulder. "We'd better leave right away," he whispered. "Are you ready?"

Feeling her spirits rise, she grinned as she nodded. "You know what the hardest part of this is?"

He paused, his breath warming her ear. "No, what?"

Chloe nuzzled his soft skin playfully. "Cuddling against you when you're naked and not being able to do a thing about it."

Kal was laughing as he lifted into the air.

************

Minutes later, Chloe was shocked when she saw that they'd landed inside the palace itself.

"Do you know what the word 'discretion' means?" she grumbled as he set her down. Nervously, her eyes swept the shelves of the deserted pantry, noticing that the only opening was high above.

"I _was_ discreet," Kal defended. "The courtyard outside, where your family's quarters are, is a lot more crowded than this."

They both whirled as something crashed behind them. A wide-eyed, elderly serving-woman stood ankle-deep in onions and clutching an empty basket.

It took a second for Chloe to realize that the woman's eyes weren't focused on their faces. "Kal!" she hissed, keeping a close watch on the woman, who seemed rooted to the spot. "Go get some clothes on!"

"I, uh…OK," he stuttered, as Chloe tried hard not to smile at the blush spreading across his cheeks. He backed out quickly, thankfully using the door instead of the window.

"He's from out of town," Chloe said, giving the woman her sunniest smile. Without waiting for an answer, she, too, made a quick exit.

She didn't recognize the colonnaded corridor outside, but she was confident that she could find her way. And luckily, she thought, unlike Kal, she wasn't conspicuous.

"Daddy!" a young voice piped up nearby. "Look at the pretty lady!"

She heard other murmurs join the child's as she turned to face a gathering crowd of onlookers. She glanced down at her robe uncertainly, realizing with a shock that it was sparkling in the sunlight filtering in through the columns.

Living in the Fortress, she'd gotten used to fancy clothing. Her silk robe, shot with gold thread and embroidered with gems of all colors, was only one of many.

Chin held high, she pushed her way through the gawkers, hoping that she could somehow lose them in the crowded courtyard. She'd almost fought her way to the palace's main hall when a familiar voice called her name.

"Father!" She twisted her head, searching anxiously for Gabriel. "Where are you?"

A richly-dressed nobleman emerged from the crowd and rushed forward to envelop her in a crushing hug. "I can't believe it," he whispered hoarsely. "We thought you were dead."

Too surprised to speak, Chloe returned the hug, and smiled, tearfully, at her father's grateful sigh. "I've prayed every day for your safe return."

She stepped back to survey him in disbelief. "What happened to you?" She noticed the pendant hanging at the end of the heavy gold chain adorning his well-tailored velvet doublet. "Why are you wearing the Chief Steward's seal?"

Her father's kind expression clouded. "I suppose you haven't heard. After all, it's been more than a year."

"A _year_?" she exclaimed, aghast to discover yet another of the Fortress' secrets. Wherever he was, she thought darkly, Jor-El was probably having a good laugh.

Gabriel smiled down at her uncertainly. "Yes, my dear. I'm afraid I don't work in the stables anymore."

Without as much as a murmur, the ring of onlookers parted to make way for a tall, elegant figure wrapped in an ermine-trimmed cloak. On his lifted arm rested the dainty hand of her sister Lana, resplendent in a gown of purple satin.

"Now," Gabriel said, nodding in the direction of the regal presence, "I work for him."

Under a bare scalp, the glittering eyes of Prince Alexander inspected her with uncomfortable interest. He smiled coldly. "Welcome back."


	11. Chapter 10

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Ten**

If the polished marble floor had cracked open and swallowed her, Chloe couldn't have been more stunned. In the space of what had seemed, to her, to be only a few short weeks, her family had undergone a transformation more amazing than any she'd seen in the Fortress. Gabriel, the ex-shepherd, was barely recognizable in his lordly robes of office, and although Lana always looked elegant, it was still a shock to see her sister, dark hair piled high and slender neck dripping with gems, escorted by the prince himself, and wearing a wedding ring set with a diamond as big as a pigeon's egg.

So Lana's secret affair with her so-called "sick friend at the palace" had paid off after all, she thought, her mind racing furiously to catch up with current events. Chloe tried to imagine the look on their unsuspecting father's face when he'd finally discovered that the "friend" in question came with a royal title attached. She hoped that Lana at least had had the decency to tell him in private.

A slight movement by her side made her turn to Gabriel, who was tugging at his tailored velvet sleeves as if they didn't fit quite right, and she eyed him sympathetically. How, and why, her father had gone from assistant undergroom to Chief Steward, she had no clue, but he looked like the proverbial fish out of water.

On the other hand, Prince Alexander, whose alabaster features were as immobile as a chiseled bust's, wore his stark black tunic like a second skin. In contrast to her sister's glittering amethyst gown, his dark outfit was unadorned, but he radiated power as his eyes bore into Chloe with the intensity of a hawk's. Clutching the folds of her robe closer, Chloe lifted her chin and said nothing, calmly deflecting his scrutiny while she tried, desperately, to get her bearings.

Apart from that quick encounter in the king's throne room, it was Chloe's first chance to see the prince close up, and one look at the cold intelligence in those eyes was enough to convince her that it would be a mistake to underestimate him. If the whispered stories about Alexander she'd overheard in the palace courtyard in years past were even halfway true, those who did usually lived to regret it. The son of King Leo was no fool.

She wondered what had attracted such a powerful prince to Lana, besides her undeniable beauty. As fond as she was of her sister, she couldn't understand why he'd bother to ally himself with a commoner.

The prince studied Chloe in silence for what seemed like hours, as if she were a fascinating puzzle. Held by that mesmerizing gaze, she stared back, unable to look away and reluctant to be the first to speak.

At last, with a small smile, he broke the spell. "This is an unexpected pleasure, Chloe. And an honor—for both of us," he remarked, nodding to her sister.

As if on cue, Lana, who'd been gaping at her in undisguised amazement, swept forward and encircled her with perfumed arms. "Thank the gods you're back," she whispered breathily. "It's like a miracle."

Pulling away from her a little, Lana gave her a long, appraising look. "That's a beautiful gown."

Chloe's brows quirked upwards in amusement. It was reassuring to see that some things hadn't changed. Lana might be a princess now, but her priorities were the same as always.

"It's, um, just something I threw on," she told her sister, hardly even bothering to glance at the jewel-encrusted robe she'd grabbed in the dark in her bedroom at the Fortress.

Lana's luminous eyes took on an envious gleam. "Your husband must be very rich," she breathed, touching the ruby-and-gold trim of one sleeve. "And very powerful."

Behind Lana, Chloe saw the prince's eyes narrow slightly at the word "powerful," and just for an instant his expression mirrored her sister's, setting off alarm bells in every corner of her brain. Obviously, Alexander and Lana had at least one thing in common: No matter what they had, they both seemed to want more. And Alexander was a man who got what he wanted.

Something told her that it would be a very, very bad idea to let Kal get anywhere near Prince Alexander.

Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered around them as they stood in the center of the hall, and it was growing restless. Chloe heard the whispers grow to a loud hum as nobles and commoners alike elbowed each other for a better view of their small group; the sounds of soft leather shoes, wood-soled sandals, and bare feet mingled as they shuffled impatiently against the mosaic floor tiles.

The prince frowned and raised his head. "Silence!"

The noise level dropped so dramatically that Chloe could hear the birdsong in the columned portico outside the hall. Only her sister, who was adjusting one of her diamond earrings, seemed unimpressed; Gabriel, she noticed, was looking at Alexander with frank admiration written all over his honest face.

Chloe smiled at him fondly. She still didn't understand why Alexander would want her father as a steward, but she hoped the prince appreciated his devotion. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in integrity.

Alexander's voice, which carried effortlessly to every part of the huge hall, interrupted her train of thought. "Our kingdom has been blessed," he announced in stilted tones, and moved slightly so that a sunbeam filtering in from the courtyard fell directly on Chloe.

Instantly, the jewels on her robe turned into a thousand twinkling points of light. A collective gasp went up from the onlookers as the prince waved a graceful hand in her direction. "We've received a sign from the gods."

Cheers began to erupt from every part of the hall, while Chloe eyed the prince with a mixture of dismay and confusion. What did he mean by a sign?

The prince, ignoring her questioning look, favored his audience with a coldly gracious smile and gestured for quiet. "This divinely-chosen lady has returned from the gods to bless my marriage to her sister. It's a sign that the gods have lifted our curse. In the name of the king"—Alexander tossed a sideways glance at her father, whose smile tightened slightly in response—"I thank them."

Chloe listened to the deafening shouts that greeted this completely untrue speech in startled amazement, impressed, in spite of herself, with the prince's clever lie. In one bold stroke, he'd taken advantage of her supposed semidivine status to consolidate his popularity with the people.

Now she understood why he'd married Lana. She was willing to bet it hadn't taken long for him to propose once Lana had officially become the sister-in-law of a "god." King Leo must have been furious, she thought, hiding a smile.

That reminded her of something. Tugging on Gabriel's sleeve, she tilted her head and whispered into his ear, "Where's the king?"

He shot her a look. "Not here," he mouthed in reply under the noise of the crowd. "I'll tell you later." Chloe narrowed her eyes, but did as he asked.

The cheers died down at another small, princely gesture. "I proclaim today as a feast day, to honor the gods, and my dear sister-in-law." He inclined his head toward Chloe respectfully, and everyone around them, nobles and commoners alike, following his lead, bowed down as one.

Chloe had to give the prince credit for delivering those flowery phrases with a straight face. They'd certainly impressed the crowd; in dismay, she surveyed the sea of heads surrounding her, all of which were bending like blades of grass in the rain.

All but one.

In a far corner, towering over the mass of bowing backs, a tall, dark-haired figure in faded blue peasant's garb grinned straight at her. For an instant, Chloe grinned back in delight, then, with a nervous sideways glance at the prince, who was looking elsewhere at the moment, she carefully settled her features into an expressionless mask and let her glance slide past him.

It broke her heart to see his face droop into a puzzled frown, but she had no choice; Kal stuck out a mile, even in those clothes. It wouldn't take Alexander long to spot a peasant the size of a young pin oak in this hall, no matter how far back he stood.

Thinking fast, she turned her back to the royal presence and pretended to search the crowd on the opposite side of the hall. "Kal, go. Now!" she urged under her breath, knowing that he would hear. "I'll explain later."

"See someone you know?"

Chloe's head swiveled at once and met Alexander's inquisitive gaze with just the right amount of surprised innocence. As she'd guessed, he'd noticed her welcoming grin, even though he'd appeared to be looking in the other direction. Obviously, he didn't miss much. "I thought so, but I was mistaken," she answered levelly.

"Hmmm." Alexander's sharp gray eyes darted to the corner in which Kal had stood, but to her relief he'd taken her advice. The corner's only occupants now were a few rather windblown-looking courtiers, who must have gotten caught in the backdraft of Kal's retreat. "I wouldn't think that often happens to you."

She smiled brightly at the thinly veiled suspicion in his tone, and decided that she'd been right to warn Kal away. The prince might be nothing more than honestly curious, but until she knew that for sure, it would be dangerous to let him know too much.

Alexander's answering smile seemed, surprisingly, to be completely genuine. "You don't disappoint me, Chloe. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better."

He offered her his arm, gesturing to his personal guards to clear a path through the still-bowing courtiers. With Chloe on his right, Lana on his left, and Gabriel trailing behind, he led their small procession toward his private apartments, while heads popped up everywhere to watch them pass by.

Even life in the Fortress hadn't prepared her to be the center of so much attention. Lana drank in the onlookers' admiration as if she'd been born to it, but Chloe returned their stares uncertainly, wishing that she and Kal both had been able to slip away unnoticed. This unexpected royal reception was only going to make it harder for them to finish the near-impossible task that Jor-El had set.

Her uneasiness must have shown on her face, because the prince, still smiling, bent closer to her. "You'll get used to it. Lana did," he murmured reassuringly. "Which reminds me," he added in a louder voice, turning toward Gabriel, who was keeping pace behind them. "We'll have a banquet tonight to celebrate your daughter's return. I'll leave the arrangements in your hands."

Chloe seized the chance to repeat her earlier question in a slightly different form. "Will the king be there?"

Although there was no change in the prince's expression, it was as if a wall had gone up behind those keen gray eyes. "I'm sorry to have to say this, but he's never been the same since the day he was possessed," Alexander replied, sighing mournfully.

As he spoke, the little group broke through the ring of onlookers, entering a grand gallery paved with polished black marble and decorated with countless tapestries and statuary. Here and there, through open doorways, Chloe caught glimpses of satin couches, of carved tables set with shining bowls piled high with fruit, and of fine carpets.

None of the furnishings in any of the chambers, however, approached the level of luxury she'd seen in the Fortress. Wistfully, she thought of her lost library, of the gourmet meals that magically appeared whenever she was hungry, and the garden Kal had created just for her.

She dismissed the memories with a shake of her head and turned her attention back to what the prince was saying. "That's odd," she remarked, her forehead creasing in confusion. Seeing the prince's questioning look, she explained. "Jor—I mean, my husband's father, promised that King Leo would be freed after I left. And he doesn't usually lie."

It was, perhaps, Jor-El's only endearing trait; he might threaten, mislead, and run his son's life with tyrannical determination, but he was unlikely to go back on a direct promise. He would, she felt certain, consider it beneath him.

Her father caught up with them and eyed Chloe sadly as he walked next to her. "Ever since that terrible day, His Majesty has acted strangely," he told her, with a regretful sigh that sounded far more genuine than Alexander's. "He speaks nonsense, and once he fell into a trance in front of his ministers."

She had to admit, that did sound like Jor-El's work. But what would he have to gain by it? It didn't make sense.

Her father gulped. "It's as if the gods have taken his mind."

Chloe smiled at him, squeezing his hand sympathetically. No one but Gabriel, she reflected fondly, could show that much genuine concern over a man as unpopular as King Leo. "I'm sure he'll get better."

Gabriel sighed. "I hope so. Nothing's worked so far. His physician sees him every day, he's guarded at all times, no one is allowed to disturb him without the prince's permission, and the prince personally supervises his meals….."

Almost imperceptibly, she felt the prince's arm stiffen underneath her hand. He detached himself from her with a quick bow and polite smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have some pressing matters to attend to." Turning to Gabriel, he added, "Your daughter is our most honored guest. Please make her comfortable."

Something flashed in Alexander's eyes as he faced her father. Gabriel straightened, blushed, and bowed low. "Of course, Your Highness."

Chloe waited until the prince and Lana were halfway down the ornate hallway, trailing a small parade of courtiers and guards in their wake, before she looked at her father. "Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

The flush on his cheeks deepened. "I don't know what you mean."

Her chin jutted out. "Come on, Dad, you know I'll get it out of you sooner or later. What was the prince warning you about?"

Gabriel's face relaxed into a smile as he stared down at her. "I see you haven't changed. I'm glad." He veered into a smaller, and even more ornate, corridor, waving at her to follow. "It's nothing, really. I just spoke out of turn. The prince dislikes too much talk about the king's ailment. He says it's not a good idea to remind people that their ruler is a madman."

"I see," Chloe said, although she didn't. King Leo's condition obviously wasn't a secret. Why would the prince be reluctant to discuss it? What was he hiding?

Gabriel threw open a set of double doors inlaid with ivory and agate medallions carved to show scenes of dancing maidens, hunts, and various woodland creatures. The central medallion on each door was of gold, and Chloe grinned when she noticed that each one bore an identical design of butterfly wings, exquisitely traced on the gleaming metal. She decided that it was a good omen.

"Will these apartments be alright?"

She surveyed the embroidered canopy over the imposing bed, the gilt chairs and marble-topped tables, and shook her head incredulously at her father. "You're not serious, are you? It's me, Dad. The one who used to take naps in the stables while I was waiting for you to finish up work."

The corner of his eyes crinkled as he beamed back at her. "I always hated to wake you up," he remarked reminiscently. "But now that you've been living….er, away….for so long"—he gestured vaguely in the direction of the large chunk of blue sky that showed through the sheer curtains covering the entrance to a balcony—"I thought you might have picked up different tastes."

Looking down at her magnificent silk robe, she laughed. "I guess I see where you get that idea. But believe me, I'm still the same. I've just been through some amazing experiences." Chloe saw a worried frown crease his face, and she smiled reassuringly. "Good ones, Dad."

"I haven't wanted to ask you too much about that other place," he said softly. "But if you want to tell me….."

Chloe kissed his cheek and rested against his shoulder briefly as he curled an arm around her. She was bursting to tell him all about Kal, about his warm emerald eyes, the teasing tone of his voice, and his annoying know-it-all attitude, but she didn't dare. Gabriel was too close to Prince Alexander, and the prince, as yet, was still a question mark.

"I will," she promised. "One day."

Pulling away from him, she crossed the room, parted the curtains, and stepped onto the balcony, which overlooked the bustling courtyard below. Gabriel joined her at the balcony railing.

"If only you'd met someone here at home," he said wistfully. "I always wanted you to end up with a good, solid, decent boy." He nodded toward the center of the courtyard, where a tall peasant was helping an elderly woman mend a cart's broken wheel. "Someone like that, for example."

Following his gaze, Chloe choked back a startled laugh. The lithe, blue-clad figure hammering the wheel back on the rickety cart was none other than Kal. At her small gasp, he looked up, and his smile broadened into a grin that was brighter than the sun.

She should have known he'd be close by. Hadn't he spent years watching over her?

It was all she could do to keep the surge of warmth she felt from showing in her face. Her father was curious enough as it was.

"Is he looking at you?" he asked, peering down at Kal's delighted face.

"Hmm?" She arched her brows innocently and retreated into the chamber as quickly as possible without seeming to rush. "I didn't notice."

Gabriel left the balcony too, and gave her forehead a light kiss. "I have to make preparations for this banquet the prince has ordered. Every noble in the city will want to attend, I'm sure, to get a look at you." He blew out a frustrated gust of air. "And as luck would have it, our kitchen staff is short-handed right now. We don't have nearly as many servers as we should, for this number of guests. I'll have to send out servants to find the extra help we'll need, and that'll take time."

Chloe paused in the middle of inspecting the contents of her dressing table. Something her father had said stuck in her mind. "Did you say _every_ noble will be there tonight?"

He nodded glumly. "Every last one. Dressed in their best, to impress the prince—and you."

Jor-El had told them that the bracelet she and Kal were looking for was hidden somewhere in Metropolis. Was it possible that one of these nobles had stumbled onto it? It was a beautiful piece of jewelry, after all; she remembered the way the gold band, set with three clear gems, had glittered on Lara's wrist in the vision Jor-El had shown her.

Anyone who'd found a treasure like that would be sure to wear it to all the most important events, including tonight's banquet. All she had to do was figure out a way to discover if her theory was right.

Luckily, she could call on the help of a being who was not only fast, but also had amazingly sharp eyesight. Kal could check each and every guest at the banquet in no time at all, if he was allowed to attend. As, for example, one of her father's extra servers.

Gabriel eyed her apologetically. "I hope you don't mind."

Chloe's eyes twinkled up at her father. "I'm looking forward to it."


	12. Chapter 11

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Eleven**

The twinkle in his daughter's hazel eyes was still on Gabriel's mind as he threaded his way down the crowded palace corridor toward the courtyard and the royal kitchens to start preparations for the upcoming banquet. More than anything else, he'd missed seeing Chloe's smile. It warmed his heart better than sunshine; even in his darkest moments, it had never failed to raise his spirits, just as it did now.

With a twinge of jealousy, he wondered if her new husband appreciated that smile as much as he did. He hoped so.

Reluctantly, he pushed aside his joy at his daughter's return and forced himself to concentrate on his duties as Prince Alexander's steward. This last-minute banquet was just one more headache on top of his regular tasks, and Gabriel knew from experience that the prince would be satisfied only with perfection.

Gabriel was very anxious not to incur his son-in-law's displeasure twice in the same month. Only last week, he'd forgotten to deliver the dinner that Alexander had ordered to be prepared for his ailing father, King Leo, and had frantically persuaded the chief cook to prepare something else in the vain hope that the prince would never find out his mistake.

Shortly thereafter, Alexander was pinning Gabriel with the same look of steely disapproval that so often struck terror in the hearts of even the most arrogant nobles. The ex-shepherd had squirmed uncomfortably and wished he were anywhere else in the kingdom but apologizing to the future father of his grandchildren. He had felt like a complete failure.

For the hundredth time, he wondered why Alexander hadn't just sent him back to the stables, where he belonged. When His Highness had first approached him, Gabriel had pointed out that there were at least a dozen nobles with far more experience in running royal households, but the prince had insisted, softly, that he valued trustworthiness over experience.

It was hard to believe that the prince would actually want a chief steward who knew nothing about palace protocol, and less than nothing about palace politics, but there it was. Even Gabriel had known better than to argue against a royal command, and, to be honest, he'd secretly been a little flattered that Alexander had such confidence in him.

And that, Gabriel decided, must be why Alexander had seemed so annoyed with him today, when he'd foolishly brought up the sensitive subject of King Leo to Chloe. It wasn't only that the prince disliked any public discussion of the king's illness; he also probably hadn't liked the reminder of Gabriel's recent blunder. No man, Gabriel thought guiltily, liked to feel that his trust had been misplaced. He'd deserved that sharp look from Alexander, and from now on, it would be doubly important to watch his words, and his actions, much more carefully.

Especially since he was considering breaching that trust one more time. For the king's sake.

The kingdom's least-experienced Lord Chief Steward chewed his lip thoughtfully as he began to descend the marble steps leading to the main courtyard, and mentally reviewed, for the hundredth time, how much better His Majesty had seemed the morning after he'd eaten Gabriel's makeshift dinner last week. The king had actually looked Gabriel in the eye when he'd come in to serve him his breakfast, and when a servant lifted a cup of the honeyed mead brewed by Alexander himself to the king's lips, Gabriel had been overjoyed to hear Leo mutter something that sounded like his son's name.

Sadly, by the time he'd summoned Alexander's hand-picked court physician to relay this exciting news, the king had already relapsed, and Gabriel decided he must've been mistaken. Still, he couldn't help wondering if there might have been a connection between his substitute dinner and the king's apparent recovery.

Not that he suspected Prince Alexander of any wrongdoing. That would be unthinkable. It was no secret that King Leo and his son were not on the best of terms, but that was hardly unusual between a ruler and his heir. Alexander was bright, capable, and a devoted husband to his elder daughter. Since he'd taken charge, he'd lightened the oppressive taxes on the people, and the kingdom was in better shape than anytime since the curse had fallen. Gabriel refused to believe that he could have had anything to do with Leo's illness.

But what if the prince's treatment, whatever it was, wasn't as helpful as planned? What if—Gabriel hardly dared even consider the idea—what if it were doing the king more harm than good? Could the prince's loyal steward really stand back and do nothing?

Too lost in thought to watch where he was going, he yelped in surprise as his foot stumbled over an unexpected crack in the worn steps. He scrambled frantically to regain his footing, but it was too late. The flagstones of the courtyard pavement were rising rapidly to meet him when he was gripped from behind by fingers as strong as steel.

Courtiers and commoners alike stopped and stared as his unseen helper steadied him at the foot of the stairs. Drawing a deep breath, Gabriel looked around and far, far up, into the friendly hazel eyes of the tall peasant boy he'd pointed out earlier to his daughter.

"Are you alright?"

The boy's grin was almost as dazzling as his own daughter's, and, like hers, it made his spirits rise. In spite of his shaky knees and his worries, Gabriel suddenly felt certain that everything would be all right.

"Thank you." He smiled back and nodded to the boy, who released him with a small, respectful bow. Gabriel caught the intelligent sparkle in those eyes, and wondered why he'd never seen this boy at the palace before. He was sure he could never have forgotten such a good-looking, charismatic youth; everything about him seemed to glow with an inner radiance. It reminded him again, just a bit, of Chloe.

But where Chloe's brilliance was captivating, this boy's was almost overwhelming. Underneath his mild-mannered glance, the youth seemed to explode with limitless power, throwing off sparks like a Chinese firecracker, and Gabriel, with a surprised jolt, found himself imagining that the boy, like those airborne Oriental inventions, might take flight at any moment.

Shaking his head to clear it, the older man scolded himself for daydreaming, and turned back to the youth, intending to ask his name. But the boy was already racing up the stairs, taking them three at a time with an ease and grace that suggested that he could have moved much faster if he'd wanted to.

Gabriel watched him as he disappeared through the columns at the head of the stairs on his way into the palace, and stood motionless for another long moment, peering after him. In spite of his recent worries, he felt a strange sense of reassurance, and he continued towards the palace kitchens with a new spring in his step. His doubts had evaporated; he knew, now, what he had to do.

While he was planning the banquet menu, he'd also make a few adjustments to King Leo's prescribed dinner. No one else would need to know, if he was careful. With luck, the king's health might even improve a little, and he'd win the gratitude of a no-doubt relieved prince.

When he reached the kitchens, Gabriel was whistling.

*** * * * * * ***

From the balcony of her palace apartments, Chloe saw her father stride purposefully toward the threshold of the royal kitchens on the far side of the courtyard. Nearby servants, carrying baskets laden with ingredients for the upcoming banquet—produce, unbaked loaves of bread, newly-plucked chickens, jars of honey—scurried away to make room for him, some even curtsying or bowing deferentially as he passed. Among them, Chloe thought she recognized the elderly woman who'd gotten an eyeful of Kal earlier in the palace pantry, before he'd put on clothes.

Chloe sighed in affectionate disbelief. Past the kitchens, against the palace wall, she glimpsed the red-tiled roof of the prince's stables, and wondered, in amusement, if these were the same servants who'd ordered Gabriel around when he'd been a lowly undergroom.

Clearly, the Fortress wasn't the only place that miracles could happen. But whatever had caused her father's sudden rise in status during the year she'd been gone, she hoped that Gabriel wasn't in over his head. He wasn't cut out for royal intrigue.

At the slight breeze which stirred the folds of her silken robe, Chloe's head popped up immediately. Sensing Kal's towering presence behind her, she'd already begun to grin even before two strong hands took hold of her shoulders.

"What took you so long?" she murmured without turning around.

In response, one long arm curled around her waist, gathering her closer, and she leaned back against his chest to soak up his comforting warmth. His fingers fondled the sensitive skin around her ear as she purred softly, like a kitten on a sunny windowsill.

On the wrist of his encircling arm, her chain of golden butterflies danced in the sunlight, looking strangely out-of-place against the faded blue sleeve of Kal's peasant outfit. She smiled down at it as if it were an old friend.

His head dropped closer to hers, and he whispered into the ear he was massaging. "I wanted to surprise you."

After a cautious glance downward to make sure Kal's sudden appearance hadn't been noticed by anyone in the courtyard, Chloe stepped out of his arms and pulled him away from the balcony. "After all that time in the dark? You can't surprise me, Kal," she replied. "Even if I can't see you, I can feel you."

Kal's arms closed around her again the minute they came inside her bedchamber, as if they'd been apart for years instead of only an hour. When Chloe stared up at him, there was an ominous gleam in his eye. "Mind if I try again?"

Without waiting for an answer, he bent down quickly, and the tip of his tongue flicked over her earlobe. Then, quick as lightning, it darted inside her ear, teasing the opening with a back-and-forth motion that set every one of Chloe's nerve endings on fire. Meanwhile, he rocked against her, his rhythm matching the movements of his tongue.

Torn between desire and dismay, Chloe tried to stop the motion, reminding herself that they couldn't afford to be sidetracked from the quest Jor-El had set for them.

"Kal, I need to talk to you," she breathed, her reply punctuated by little gasps at his quick, insistent thrusts. Twisting in his arms, she struggled to free her hand to close up the front of her robe, which had pulled apart enough to give him a very revealing bird's-eye view underneath the gem-studded neckline.

A low rumble rose in Kal's throat, and his large hands closed around her hips, gently but firmly holding her in place while, with expert strokes, he worked against her resistance. Through the rough homespun of his tunic, she could feel him harden, and her whole body shivered in pleasure at the touch.

His whisper warmed her ear as the rocking continued. "Later."

"Not now," she insisted, trying to sound firm. "We don't have…."

The world blurred around her, and the next instant she and Kal were naked atop the massive four-poster featherbed. "….time," she finished weakly.

The look in Kal's eyes as he leaned over her melted her last ounce of self-control. "Yes, we do," he said, and reached down to stroke the inside of her thighs, his touch light, but as searing as fire. He aimed each stroke higher until, with a small shuddering sigh, Chloe let her legs fall open.

Kal's answering growl was low and possessive. Sliding down until his head hovered between her thighs, he flicked his tongue across the delicate folds of skin, teasing them with licks and small jabs, while Chloe, lost in a haze of pure bliss, barely heard her own appreciative sighs.

Without warning, his finger replaced his tongue, pushing inside her and working up and down rapidly. Chloe let out a surprised yell at an unexpectedly deep jab, and Kal stopped at once. Face flushed and breathing hard, he started the motion again more slowly, with gentle, short strokes. His touch melted her insides; eagerly, Chloe grabbed his hand and guided his strokes inside her moist, hot opening.

Kal's look of hungry adoration as he bent over her was nearly enough to drive her over the edge, all by itself. Staring up at him, Chloe realized how much she'd been missing when they'd made love in the dark. Impulsively, she clutched his wrist, halting the motion. "I want you inside me," she whispered roughly, between uneven breaths. "I want to _see_ you when you're inside me."

Kal, by now too far gone to answer with words, pushed himself up on his knees, treating Chloe to a very interesting close-up view. For the first time, she could feast her eyes on the full length of his shaft, swollen with blood and curving upward to a tip that was already dripping. Her stomach gave an excited flip.

Clearly, when it came to some things, seeing really _was_ believing.

Hesitantly, she reached out to stroke it, and watched him shudder as an expression of dazed delight spread across his face. Encouraged, she picked up the pace.

"I've wanted to do this for a long time," she confessed, throatily. "Do you like it?"

Kal's eyes glowed like emerald fire. As he shivered again, his large palm wrapped over her hand, gently stilling its motion. Once Chloe had let go, he stretched his long body over hers, positioned himself, and pushed.

Inch by inch, he filled her slowly, while she arched her hips against his impatiently. Kal grinned and began to rock them deeper into the featherbed, Chloe's eyes locked on his. Crimson flecks sparked in his pupils as she urged him on, and she saw his face twist with incredible effort as his thrusts quickened. She realized, with a jolt, how hard Kal had to work to restrain himself, to keep his enormous strength in check so that he didn't hurt her. She could feel the power surging through his muscles, and her respect for his self-control, already high, shot up even further.

To make up for Kal's self-imposed restraint, Chloe pressed upwards harder, hooking her legs around him to push him in deeper. Her encouragement sent Kal into a frenzy; muttering incoherently, he drove into her until the world exploded and Chloe heard them both scream at the same time.

Afterwards, their bodies lay tangled for a few minutes in exhausted contentment. Chloe buried her fingers in Kal's sweat-dampened dark curls as his warm weight covered her, and wished they could stay this way forever.

It was too bad they couldn't. They had a job to do.

She heard Kal's voice, soft against her shoulder. "Now we're together in both worlds, here and the Fortress," he whispered. "No matter what Jor-El does."

For once, she was glad that Kal hadn't forgotten Jor-El. "He won't do anything, if we can find your mother's bracelet in time," she replied briskly, nudging his big arm as a hint to move. Reluctantly, he complied, and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, reaching to the floor for her discarded robe. "We've only got a week. I have an idea, but we'll have to move fast."

She darted a worried glance at the elaborately inlaid double doors of her apartments. "You'd better get dressed, Kal. I don't want anyone to catch us together."

"Why not?" Kal demanded, scooping up his own clothes and shaking them out.

As if in answer to his question, Chloe saw a pair of steely eyes flash in her mind, and a sudden uneasy feeling rose at the pit of her stomach. Her hands froze over the sash of her robe; with an effort, she finished tying it and looked up at his expectant face. "I don't trust Prince Alexander," she confessed slowly. "He's all but taken over the kingdom, and his father's illness is a little too convenient. Alexander's dangerous, Kal; if he found out what you can do, there's no telling what might happen."

Kal frowned thoughtfully and nodded. Satisfied that her warning had hit home, Chloe brightened slightly. "Besides," she went on in a lighter tone, "if I introduced you, you couldn't go undercover tonight."

Pausing in the middle of shrugging into his stained blue woolen overshirt, her lover raised his brows inquisitively.

"I want you to pose as a server at the banquet tonight, and keep an eye on the guests," she explained quickly. "That bracelet's got to be somewhere, and one of them might be wearing it."

Kal's face lit up like a delighted ten-year-old's. "Should I wear a disguise?"

Chloe stifled a chuckle. "Aren't you already?" she asked, running an amused eye over his ragged outfit.

He shot her a reproachful look. "This isn't a disguise. It's _Kent_." Inspecting a frayed sleeve, he amended ruefully, "Plus a little wear-and-tear."

Chloe smiled nostalgically, thinking of their first meeting in the woods. "OK, whatever. But you _will_ need a disguise tonight, because all the servants wear the royal livery. Go check the Servants' Hall, they should have a few extra sets handy. Then go to the kitchen and tell the cook that my father sent you to help out. He said they were short-handed."

Kal, who was still dressing, nodded as he bent down to squeeze his enormous feet into worn sandals that were at least two sizes too small. "I hope they've got bigger shoes," he remarked, grimacing.

Chloe watched the painful process with a grin. "I wouldn't count on it. Where'd you find these clothes, anyway?"

"I, uh, borrowed them from a farmer." As he straightened, he picked up the piece of old rope that served as his belt, from which a large sheepskin pouch dangled. "Don't worry, I paid for them."

Chloe eyed the heavy pouch curiously. "What's in there?"

He shot her a look, and smiled. "Just something I found in a coal scuttle."

Untying the pouch from his belt, he spilled the contents over the featherbed, and Chloe gasped. A stream of gleaming pebbles bounced across the crumpled white coverlet, settling in the folds and winking up at her in the sunlight like crystal flowers blooming through the snow. Most were clear, but some were tinged with shades of ice-blue, honey, and amber.

As a rule, Chloe barely noticed jewelry, but this magical garden entranced her. She let out a low whistle of appreciation as she fingered the smooth gems, some of which were almost as large as a hen's egg. "These look like diamonds."

Kal nodded in confirmation. "I made them and left a few for the farmer," he replied, beaming proudly at her awestruck reaction.

Sobering, he added, sounding genuinely concerned, "I hope he thinks it's a fair exchange."

Chloe tore her eyes away from the glittering display and stared at him, scarcely able to believe her ears. "Are you kidding? One of these would probably buy that man a whole new farm."

"I don't like taking things without asking," Kal replied curtly, dismissing his latest miracle with a shrug, as if it were hardly worth mentioning. "I don't want to steal from people; I want to help them."

Watching the mightiest being in the world shuffle his feet guiltily, Chloe felt herself fall in love all over again. "You will," she promised softly, smiling. "Kal, you're amazing. With or without your powers."

As their eyes met, Kal's began to glow with renewed interest. Watching him come closer, Chloe shivered with pleasure, wondering what it might feel like to make love in a bed of diamonds.

Just before they touched, Kal's head whirled towards the double doors that led to the outside hallway. Squinting at them, he murmured, "Your sister's here."

Chloe stiffened as she heard the gentle rapping on the door. "Get out of here!" she urged him. "We'll talk later."

Kal raised plaintive brows, managing to look disappointed and hopeful at the same time. "Can't I meet the rest of the family?"

Even though he looked only slightly less adorable than a puppy, Chloe refused to be swayed. "GO!" she whispered through gritted teeth. "And take _those_"—she nodded at the diamond-studded coverlet—"with you."

She waited for Kal's breeze to die down before smoothing her windswept hair and heading for the door, touching her cheek where she'd felt the soft imprint of his goodbye kiss.

"Coming, Lana!" she singsonged.

The door opened to reveal her sister's perfect face, which was marred only by a puzzled crease across her forehead. "How did you know it was me?"

Chloe gave her an innocent look. "I recognized your knock." She changed the subject as she stepped aside to let her sister in. "Where's His Highness?"

Lana swept into the center of the chamber, her elegant dark velvet riding-cloak billowing behind her, and surveyed the rumpled bedsheets curiously. "Meeting with his counselors."

Chloe shot a brief look at the petite brunette. "You mean His Majesty's counselors, don't you?"

Lana's luminous eyes radiated guilt. "Oh! Yes, of course." Her head bobbed violently as a faint pink tinge bloomed on her cheeks.

Chloe mentally rolled her eyes. She was a little disappointed that an entire year spent at court hadn't made Lana a better liar. From her reaction, it was clear that the king was her least important consideration—and probably Alexander's, too.

Seeing her sister's discomfort, Chloe took pity on her and let the matter drop. "What brings you here?"

Lana was only too happy to talk about something else. "I'm on my way to the stables, so I thought I'd stop by and check to see if you needed anything before I get back." For the second time that day, she inspected Chloe's attire, but her scrutiny now was cool and critical, rather than adoring. "Did you bring a gown?"

Chloe cast a rueful glance at her outfit, which, in spite of its richly embroidered silk and countless gems, was still only a robe. "My visit came up pretty suddenly," she said, coming as close to the truth as she dared. "I didn't have a chance to pack."

Lana's smile remained in place, but her eyes narrowed. "Oh. Well, I'll be happy to loan you some of my clothes. Will your husband be joining us later? We'd love to meet him." She darted a hopeful look at Chloe. "Can you tell us more about him?"

_So_, Chloe thought, deflecting the look with a polite smile, _I was right._

She'd wondered why Alexander hadn't asked her any direct questions about her husband earlier, even though he was obviously curious about Kal. He must have decided that Lana would have better luck prying out the information he wanted. Her sister wasn't here on a visit; she was here on a fact-finding mission.

The prince was nothing if not resourceful. Chloe's respect for him grew.

Shaking her head at her sister regretfully, she replied, "Maybe later."

Lana's face fell. "It's too bad he can't come. I guess he has…..more important things to do." She paused, gave Chloe a sideways glance, and let out a sigh heavy with sympathy. "I'm sure it never occurred to him that he was leaving you here with nothing."

Chloe endured Lana's honey-coated jab with the ease of long practice. She understood her sister's resentment; Lana had spent her whole life being the center of attention, and now, thanks to Chloe, she wasn't. It couldn't be easy for her to accept that.

"My lady," a third, all-too-familiar voice chimed in from the direction of the open door, "your husband sent a gift for you."

She jumped, startled, but even before she turned, she knew who it was. Kal's tall figure filled the doorway, clad from top to toe in tight-fitting jet black livery that transformed him completely from poor peasant to royal page. The only things that hadn't changed were the golden bracelet on his wrist, and his sunny grin.

Chloe sighed inwardly. Apparently she'd been wrong; Kal _could_ still surprise her.

He was carrying a carved wooden chest, which was shut and latched. She glanced at it, then up at Kal, with a carefully neutral face, wondering what in the world he was up to. "So I see," she replied, barricading herself against the mischievous twinkle in his eyes with as much cold dignity as she could muster.

She'd asked Kal to stay away, and he'd ignored her.

Honestly, he was the most stubborn demi-god she had _ever_ met.

She was, she reminded herself as she stared into those dancing eyes, very annoyed with him.

His grin widened, as if he guessed her thoughts, and with a sinking heart, she felt her resolve crumble. Kal's greatest power, she decided, was his charm, and resistance was useless.

She saw, to her amusement, that she wasn't the only one affected. From the other side of the chamber, Lana was eying Kal with undisguised interest. It was obvious that, married or not, she hadn't quite given up her old habit of acquiring spare boyfriends.

"You must be new," Lana murmured, looking him over and flashing him an admiring smile. "I don't remember seeing you before."

Barely glancing at her, Kal turned back to Chloe and offered her the chest. "They're for you to wear tonight, if you want. He…er…left a message."

Chin held high and lips pressed together tightly, Chloe barely managed to keep her face straight as she unlatched the chest, still in Kal's outstretched hands, and opened it. Blinking a little, she stared at a dazzling pile of gems in shades of blue, gold, and crystal. They were, she realized, the same ones that had decorated her bed a few minutes earlier, only now they'd been cut, so that they blazed in the sunlight like fallen stars. Before, they'd been beautiful; now, they were jewels fit for a queen.

"In the message," Kal was saying quietly, "he said these are a token of his love."

Tears blurred Chloe's vision. "They're…unbelievable," she said, not daring to meet his gaze, and felt his unspoken pleasure.

She heard a small, soft gasp at the far end of the room and raised her head to peer past Kal to where her sister stood, staring at the gems in open-mouthed amazement.

Then, without warning, Lana did a double-take. She shifted her gaze downwards, towards Kal's hands, and began to move closer, her eyes riveted on something that Chloe couldn't see.

To Chloe's horror, Kal paled and staggered back, letting the chest thud heavily on the thick carpet while its glittering contents bounced and scattered.

Completely forgetting her sister's strange behavior, Chloe rushed forward to support him and nervously examined his face, which had taken on the same sickly tinge she'd last seen on Kent as a boy, years ago in the forest. She nudged him a few steps toward the door, hoping to put some distance between him and whatever it was in the room that was affecting him. To her endless relief, his color improved almost at once.

"What's wrong?" her sister asked from behind her.

Chloe's head whirled to look at Lana, who was standing only a few feet away, and caught her breath. A telltale greenish glow shone from a pendant that had, until now, been hidden under the collar of Lana's riding cloak.

Lana had noticed it, too. Her brows knit as she stared down at it, watching the glow slowly fade as Chloe moved Kal further away. "That's odd," her sister said, as if to herself. "It's never done that before."

Chloe turned back to Kal and bit her lip to keep it from trembling. "You'd better go see a doctor," she told him coolly. "And….if you get a chance, tell my husband thank you for the gift."

Their eyes locked briefly, and then he left, leaving Chloe alone with her sister, who stood motionless, clutching her pendant, and following Kal's exit with a glint of fascination in her wide eyes. "Who was that?"

Chloe was very glad that Lana had no idea. Even in the best of circumstances, it would have been risky to reveal Kal's identity; now that she'd seen his reaction to the green rocks, it would have been disastrous.

"How should I know?" she countered, shrugging. Eager to redirect her sister's attention, she pointed at the small teardrop-shaped pendant, now darkened and nearly invisible near the edge of Lana's cloak. "Isn't wearing cursed rocks a little beneath your standards, Lana?"

She'd expected the remark to annoy her sister, but Lana, looking at the place where Kal had been standing, only smiled. "Alexander—I mean, His Highness—says the rocks aren't a curse; they're a gift. He's even started to study them."

Chloe stared. "He's collecting them? That could be dangerous."

Especially for Kal, she thought.

Her sister's musical laughter filled the room. "Alexander knows what he's doing," she said.

That, Chloe thought grimly, was what she was afraid of, silently making a note to warn Kal of the prince's new hobby at the first opportunity.

Meanwhile, it was time to change the subject. "Speaking of rocks," she said, nodding towards the multicolored diamonds littering her carpet. "I could use a necklace and so forth for the banquet tonight. Is there time to get these strung?"

Instantly distracted by the fabulous display, Lana scooped up a handful of the huge gems and examined them with envious eyes. Suddenly, they went blank, as if the sight had given her an idea. "Of course," she said absently, "I'll speak to the court jeweler right away."

When she looked up at Chloe, her expression was as friendly as ever. "It will make your husband happy."

After she'd left, Chloe wondered why Lana's last comment stuck in her mind. It had, for some reason, sounded like a threat.

Sighing, she finished gathering up the jewels, returned them to their chest, and headed to her bath. It was going to be an eventful night.


	13. Chapter 12

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Twelve**

"A little wine, m'lady?"

The servant's polite question startled Chloe so much she dropped her golden fork. It clattered musically on her silver plate as she jerked her head away from the rows of banquet tables stretching out across the floor of the cavernous hall, one level below her perch on the royal dais. "What did you say?"

The attendant's eyes were respectfully downcast as he held out the cut-glass carafe filled with straw-colored liquid. "Chablis, for the second course, madam," he prompted. "Selected by the prince himself."

With a jolt, Chloe realized that she'd been too preoccupied to notice that the first course of the banquet was already over. She had a vague recollection of nibbling on a stuffed date and making small talk with Lana while her eyes were aimed elsewhere, skimming over the sparkling crowd of high-ranking nobles making merry at the packed tables and the liveried servers who moved among them handing round platters and refilling goblets, in search of one tall figure.

He was ridiculously easy to find. Kal towered over the sea of fashionably coiffed heads as he carried dishes from one end of the hall to the other, threading his way gracefully through the narrow spaces between the seats, grinning down at the guests, seemingly everywhere at once.

Chloe sighed inwardly as she followed his movements from table to table. In spite of his servant's clothes, it was clear that he stood out like a sore thumb. More than one female guest had turned her head to look after him as he passed by, and a few were trying to catch his attention with little waves and winks. Kal pretended not to notice, but she caught the amused gleam in his eye.

Chloe sighed again, this time out loud. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.

Still, she reflected, nodding absently at the attendant to pour the wine, what choice did they have? During their last, brief meeting in her apartments after Lana had left, neither she nor Kal had been able to come up with any better options for locating Lara's bracelet. And they only had a week.

"_It's a gold band, with three clear stones,"_ she'd reminded him hurriedly, taking advantage of the few minutes of privacy they had before Lana's maid delivered the gown her sister had promised to lend her. _"Jor-El said it would call out to you, so if anyone can find it, you can. Search all the guests, while I try to distract the prince."_

Kal's expression had darkened ominously. _"I don't like leaving you alone with him."_

_"We can't risk him noticing you,"_ she'd said, sighing impatiently_. "Stay away from him, and I'll keep him busy."_

_"Not _too_ busy, I hope,"_ he'd grumbled, scowling fiercely.

Chloe'd nearly laughed out loud, wondering if any other woman had told Kal how cute he looked when he was jealous. She certainly hoped not.

"_Careful,"_ she'd murmured wickedly as he glared down at her. _"Your eyes are green enough already."_

So far, Chloe thought, shaking herself out of her reverie and glancing at the prince's massive ebony chair on her immediate left, Kal didn't have much to worry about. The chair was still, inexplicably, vacant.

The noise level in the banquet hall rose as the second course was paraded out from the kitchen to the fanfare of trumpets and the cheers of the guests. The commotion barely registered on Chloe, who stared at the unoccupied chair and fought back a growing sense of unease.

She looked at her sister, who was seated on the opposite side of the chair. "Where's His Highness?"

In response, Lana's slender shoulders rose and fell briefly, making her silvery satin gown shimmer with iridescence in the candlelight. With the gown, she wore a string of oversized pearls which, to Chloe's relief, had replaced her poisonous green pendant.

"He'll be here before long, I'm sure," she replied vaguely, then turned away to smile at the procession of servers who were now marching past the high table with a seemingly endless assortment of exotic dishes. Most of them were new to Chloe, but on one platter she thought she spotted a roast pheasant underneath an elaborate spray of peacock feathers, and she was fairly sure that there was a side of beef hidden under the huge castle-shaped pastry that two strong attendants struggled to keep steady on its gilded tray.

"I sent word to him a few minutes ago to hurry up," her sister added, her smile deepening.

Chloe wondered why the prince would need the urging. He didn't strike her as the type to pass up the chance to take a bow for putting on a show as impressive as this.

With a start, she realized that her sister wasn't watching the grand procession. Lana was staring at the main floor, and when Chloe followed her gaze, she saw that it was aimed straight at Kal.

"I know Alexander wouldn't want to miss this," Lana added, still looking in Kal's direction.

Chloe took a deep breath to steady her racing heartbeat. It would be a mistake to read too much into Lana's interest; after all, Kal was being watched by half the women in the hall.

It would be much better, though, if Lana weren't one of them. Quickly, she brought up a subject that was sure to get her sister's attention. "I saw a gorgeous piece of jewelry the other day."

As expected, her sister's head whirled toward her, tilted curiously. Without waiting for her to respond, Chloe added, "It was a bracelet, a plain gold band with white stones. If I could find it again, I'd love to have one made just like it. You haven't seen anything like that around here, have you?"

Was it her imagination, or did Lana's eyes widen at the mention of a bracelet? Although when Chloe described it, they seemed to cloud, as if in confusion.

Impatiently, Chloe told herself to calm down. There was no way Lana or anyone else could have guessed what she and Kal were up to.

Jor-El's quest, she decided, must be getting to her more than she'd thought. Morosely, she began to wish that Kryptonians had come up with a simpler way to pledge their love—like a handshake.

Whatever had been in Lana's eyes before, there was nothing there now except mild regret. "Sorry, no. But it doesn't sound nearly as lovely as the necklace you're wearing."

With a mixture of pride and uneasy self-consciousness, Chloe glanced down at the dazzling circle of diamonds adorning her neck that, until today, had been nothing more than a heap of coal in a peasant's cottage. She had to admit that the court jeweler had done an amazing job with Kal's gift on very short notice. Over the low-cut bodice of her crimson gown, the gems caught the soft candlelight and turned it into a shower of blue, gold and white sparkles.

"It's more like the necklace is wearing me," Chloe remarked ruefully, and colored slightly as two nearby courtiers, apparently overhearing, looked up and grinned at her in frank admiration. "People are staring at it."

Gabriel's warm voice cut in from the far end of the table. "No, people are staring at _you_."

Chloe turned to greet him with a delighted grin. He was climbing the steps at one end of the dais, heading toward her seat at the center of the table, and although his face seemed paler and more careworn than it had been earlier, his eyes shone when he met her gaze. "You look beautiful tonight, daughter."

Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe thought she saw Kal halt abruptly in mid-pace at the other end of the hall, and risked a quick glance in his direction. He smiled directly at her and gave her a little nod of agreement, just before one eye closed in a wink.

At once she switched her gaze back to her father, desperately trying to hide the fact that her insides were doing a happy somersault. "Dad! I'm glad you made it. I was wondering if you were going to spend the whole night in the kitchens."

Chloe was surprised to see his face darken momentarily. "There was some…extra work I needed to do," he explained, deflecting her curiosity with a brief smile.

Abruptly he turned to kiss Lana on the cheek. "You look lovely too, sweetheart, as always. Sometimes I wonder if even the prince deserves you."

Lana beamed at the compliment, but Chloe narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Her father really was no good at all at diversionary tactics. "What's wrong, Dad?"

"Nothing," he insisted, a little too quickly. "It's just that I was afraid I'd miss the banquet. I wanted to be here much earlier than this."

"Trouble in the kitchens, Gabe?"

As if from nowhere, Prince Alexander appeared on the dais to a chorus of muffled gasps from the guests in the hall. No one had seen him enter the room, and from the awestruck whispers Chloe overheard, no one could explain how he'd gotten there.

Apparently she was the only one who noticed the slight breeze behind one of the tapestries draping the stone wall behind the dais. She guessed that the draft came from a concealed door that the prince had left ajar after he'd passed through it.

As before, the prince was dressed in black, but tonight his sable tunic was set off with a heavy golden chain, from which dangled the Royal Seal.

If Chloe had needed any more proof of the prince's plans, she had it now. The Seal was the property of the king alone.

Gabriel stiffened. "No, sire, none at all." He flushed in obvious discomfort, but Alexander, his eyes on Chloe, scarcely glanced at him.

Rising with the rest of the guests to greet her host, Chloe drawled, "I didn't know you liked magic tricks, Your Highness."

He returned the look with a gleam of something like amusement. "Illusion has its advantages," he replied blandly, gesturing for everyone to be seated before he settled into his thronelike chair. "For one thing, the element of surprise."

His eyes caught and held her gaze as he beckoned lazily to someone behind him. At once a page hurried forward and handed him a small mahogany trinket box.

"This is why I'm late," he continued in an apologetic voice. "It wasn't finished until just now. I hope you like it."

Alexander flipped the lid open to reveal a golden bangle resting on a bed of black satin. On the bangle, a warrior and a bull-headed creature were locked in combat, delicately traced in bright green enamel.

"Theseus and the Minotaur," Chloe breathed, admiring the careful rendering of the famous legend. Every detail, down to the bull's curly mane and the design on the warrior's sword, was perfectly drawn, and in the flickering light, the emerald-colored inlay shone so vividly that the figures seemed to move. "It's exquisite."

"Theseus, who protected the people from a monster," Alexander confirmed. "I've made it the emblem of my house." He smiled and removed the bangle from its satin nest, offering it to her. "Please accept this as a token of my esteem."

"May I?" he asked, reaching for her hand, while Chloe stared at him, unsure how to react. Even without looking, she could feel Kal's disapproving frown from across the room. She knew, all too well, that both he and Jor-El took bracelets very, very seriously.

Unable to think of a refusal that didn't sound like an insult, and hoping that Kal would understand, she allowed the prince to slip the bangle onto her wrist. "I'm honored, Your Highness."

To her surprise, he didn't let go immediately. "It looks even lovelier on your arm, my lady."

The temperature level in the hall had risen suddenly, or so it seemed to Chloe. As unobtrusively as possible, she tugged her hand free, still smiling. "It's an interesting emblem," she said, pretending to inspect her present more closely. "Why did you pick it?"

She darted an involuntary look at the main floor below them, where a tall, black-clad figure was moving in their direction. Kal wasn't even pretending to wait on tables any longer; he elbowed past the busy servers and ignored the guests, his eyes narrowed and fixed on the prince.

Uh-oh.

Hastily, she jerked her head back to face the prince, anxious to avoid drawing attention to Kal, but Alexander wasn't looking at her. He was gazing downward at the damask tablecloth with hooded eyes, and his face wore an unreadable expression. "Because Theseus and I share the same destiny." One hand ran over his bare scalp reflexively. "To defend our kingdoms. I've known that since the day I survived the firestorm."

It wasn't the answer Chloe had expected. Prince Alexander impressed her as a natural conqueror, not a protector.

"It must have been a terrifying experience," she admitted slowly, remembering that the prince had only been nine years old at the time. "But it's in the past."

He shot her a look. "Not entirely. I still dream about it."

Chloe began to murmur something sympathetic, studied his face, and fell silent.

The prince was staring at something she couldn't see. "I was lost in a field, looking for my father, when the sky began to fall. I thought the world was ending. There was nowhere to run, but I ran anyway, trying to get away from the rain of fire. I couldn't see, I tripped, and almost slid down into a deep hole that had somehow opened up right in front of me. It was on fire, too. I started choking from all the smoke, and I remember trying to scream."

The attendants approached to pour more wine and hand out finger towels, but after one look at the prince they scurried off to another part of the table. Neither the prince nor Chloe paid them any attention.

He raised his head to gaze at her with unseeing eyes. "That's when he found me."

Somewhere in the crowd below them, she sensed Kal coming to a stop, although she had no idea why. "Your father?" she whispered, almost afraid to interrupt.

Slowly, he shook his head. "A little boy came out of the smoke and bent over me. Dark-haired, and his eyes…." he hesitated, and the corners of his mouth turned upwards wryly. "I've never seen eyes like that, before or since."

As she searched Alexander's face, she saw the hard lines soften, taking years off his face. "He touched my forehead and smiled at me. For some reason, I wasn't afraid any more."

Chloe stole a startled glance at Kal, who stood a few yards away from the dais, as motionless as a marble statue and, from the look of stunned realization on his face, she guessed the truth.

Kal might have been too young to remember until now, but he'd met the kingdom's Crown Prince the very day he'd arrived here.

This, Chloe thought anxiously, complicated things.

Alexander was still talking. "Even though I never saw him again, I used to think of him as a friend," he said quietly.

Somewhere nearby, there was a sharp intake of breath.

The small sound seemed to snap the prince out of his reverie. "Then I must have fainted," he said in a lighter tone. "I'm told I was found by a farmer and his wife. They returned me to my father, who spent the next several weeks lecturing me about cowardice before handing me over to a tutor. I didn't see much of him after that."

His gaze slid away. "Especially after my brother and my mother died."

Chloe felt her chest constrict as she watched him. Just for an instant, she had a grim vision of a boy who'd faced too many monsters, at far too young an age.

"I'm sorry," she said, sincerely. Kal, she knew, was coming closer, but she kept her gaze riveted on the prince.

His voice hardened, and her vision of a frightened boy disappeared at once. "Don't be. That day made me stronger."

"You still haven't told me what all this has to do with protecting the kingdom," she challenged.

Alexander's lips quirked upwards. "You surprise me, my lady. The firestorm was only the first attack. It's up to me to defend my kingdom from the next one."

He studied her with suddenly narrowed eyes. "But I'm guessing that you knew that already."

The accusing words hit home. Chloe thought guiltily of Jor-El's plans for Kal, and lifted her chin, forcing herself to return his gaze steadily. "Is that why you're collecting the cursed rocks?" she retorted, avoiding his question.

His brows shot up. "I don't believe in curses. And, from what I've heard, neither do you."

"So your speech today about the gods lifting the curse was a lie," she concluded, without much surprise. "I guess you don't believe in ethical government, either."

He shrugged, as if her remark was hardly worth notice. "I can see that you never met my father."

"Actually, I did," she corrected, not bothering to add that he'd been possessed by Jor-El at the time, but Alexander ignored the remark. He leaned closer, regarding her with a knowing smile. In spite of herself, Chloe heard her own breath catch.

Over his shoulder, she saw Lana watching them closely while pretending to make small talk with the ambassador who was seated next to her. When the prince put his hand over Chloe's, there was an angry glint in her eye.

"You and I are more alike than you care to admit," Alexander murmured, his breath hot on her cheek. "We both know that knowledge is power."

Hastily, Chloe moved her hand away from his, anxious to keep the situation from getting out of control, and hoping that Kal would know better than to interfere. "That's not true. To me, knowledge is freedom."

Alexander paused, as if he were considering her answer. "You're right," he said at last. "Knowledge _does_ set you free. It corrects so many misconceptions."

"For instance," he said, pulling away from her and straightening slightly, "it teaches you who your enemies are. I never knew mine until tonight—thanks to you."

He raised his head and, to Chloe's horror, looked straight at Kal, who, by now, was standing directly in front of the dais, a few feet down on the main level. "Did you think I wouldn't recognize you?" Alexander asked, in a voice loud enough to echo accusingly through the whole hall.

Immediately all conversation around them ceased. Silence settled over the banquet hall as the prince's eyes bored into Kal's.

"Kal," Chloe gasped, "Get out of here!"

But Kal didn't seem to hear her. Meeting the prince's cold stare with a small, sad smile, he stood motionless. "I'm not your enemy."

Alexander's gaze wavered, but only for a minute. "Maybe not now," he said, almost regretfully, "but you could be, one day. And there's no room in this kingdom for two masters."

"GO!" Chloe cut in desperately.

"Not without you," Kal said, and disappeared in a blur, only to reappear a split-second later on the dais next to her. But when he reached out to grab her, his face twisted as if in pain.

Chloe caught a flash of green coming from below, looked down at her wrist, and paled in horror. On the bracelet the prince had given her, the images of Theseus and the Minotaur were glowing with a familiar, unearthly radiance. In the pulsing light, the images seemed to writhe, keeping time with Kal's convulsions as he stumbled away from her.

The prince gave a quick gesture, and a troop of soldiers appeared out of nowhere, armed with lances tipped with glowing rock. When Kal tried to break out of the circle of men, one of them plunged his spear into Kal's shoulder.

As the point dug in, Kal and Chloe screamed at the same time.

Kal collapsed, and Chloe, pulling off the bracelet and tossing it into the crowd below, pushed a guard aside to kneel next to him. She was dimly aware that Alexander had risen and followed her.

"I'll find a way to free you," she whispered in Kal's ear, as her tears splashed on his pale cheeks. She brushed them away, hardly even knowing what she was doing. All she knew was that her life lay on the floor in front of her, slowly wasting away. "I promise, Kal. Whatever you do, don't give up."

As she cradled his head in her hands, he stared into her eyes, moving cracked lips, obviously struggling to speak. "Chloe," he finally breathed, so softly that she could hardly make out the name. "Save yourself. Go."

Not trusting herself to speak, she shook her head silently. Her safety wasn't important, and neither was Lara's elusive bracelet. She'd gladly trade both in exchange for Kal, alive and healthy. He was all that mattered now.

"Oh, Chloe will be alright," Alexander's smooth voice cut in from above.

Chloe looked up, blinking to clear her watery vision. The prince stood regarding them with a triumphant expression. "I owe your wife a debt of gratitude, _Kal_," he told them, his lips curling. "I couldn't have done this without her help."

Chloe's eyes widened as she realized what the prince was saying. She whirled to look down at Kal. "He's lying!"

"Am I?" Chloe jerked her head up toward Alexander again, and made a silent vow that, if it was the last thing she did, she was going to knock that self-satisfied grin off his face.

The prince met Kal's tortured gaze. "Think about it," he pointed out in a reasonable tone, as if he were arguing about tomorrow's weather. "Who else knew your weakness? And I'm sure that you could see that she and I share, shall we say, a mutual attraction?"

The hopeless look in Kal's eyes as he stared up at her nearly stopped her heart. Her body shook with sobs as she bent over him and felt his body go limp in her arms. "Kal!" she forced out, shakily, on the edge of sheer panic. "I love you. Only you."

But Kal had already lost consciousness. Chloe turned a tear-streaked face up at Alexander, who was looming over her like a figure of Doom. "You're killing him!"

The prince looked at Kal with an oddly sorrowful expression. "No. Not yet, at any rate." He pointed to the spear sticking out of Kal's shoulder, darted a glance at one of the soldiers and snapped his fingers. At once, the man pulled the spear free, and Kal's body jerked violently as blood soaked the black material of his livery around the area of the wound.

Although he was still unconscious, Chloe heard Kal suck in a breath, and a little of his color returned. Closing her eyes, she whispered a silent prayer of thanks.

"Take him to his cell, and keep the green rocks close….but not too close," Alexander was telling his men. "He needs to be alert enough to answer questions."

While the stunned crowd whispered excitedly, the soldiers loaded Kal's huge, inert form on a long pallet studded with small glowing rocks. Chloe struggled to her feet to watch as they carried him out of the hall, and the room suddenly began to spin around her.

Two strong arms reached out to hold her steady, and Chloe looked up into the worried face of her father. She had to fight the sudden urge to burrow into those arms and shut the world away, just as she'd done when she was six.

Biting her lip to keep from crying, she gave Gabriel a tight smile and turned to face both Alexander and Lana, who'd risen to stand next to him. Her father kept a firm hand under her elbow to prop her up.

Chloe studied Lana's sweetly sympathetic expression with eerily calm detachment. "It was you," she heard herself say quietly. "You saw the green rocks affect Kal today, you're the only one who could have betrayed him. How did you know he was my husband?"

Her sister's smile twisted subtly into one of self-satisfaction. "You know I never understood why you gave away our mother's bracelet, Chloe. Imagine my surprise when I saw it again this very afternoon….on the arm of a so-called 'servant.'"

She met Chloe's wordless gaze and shifted uncomfortably, but didn't drop her eyes. "Honestly, dear," she said, in a tone that dripped with too much honey, "you're better off without him. He's a monster, after all. It's really all for the best, trust me."

Seeing the thinly-disguised triumph in Lana's face, Chloe felt an ice-cold rage chill her blood. "You know," she remarked, thoughtfully, "Dad said that the prince didn't deserve you. He was wrong. No one deserves each other more than you two."

She enjoyed her sister's answering glare as Gabriel urged her forward, through the silent ranks of courtiers. On their way out of the hall, she glanced back to see Alexander, tight-lipped, give her a slight, almost respectful, nod.

When they'd finally reached the privacy of her chamber, Chloe, unable to hold back any longer, sobbed into his shoulder.

He patted her back reassuringly. "If there's anything I can do to help, child, you know I'll do it."

Chloe wiped her tears away impatiently with her fist, telling herself, again, that she was behaving like a six-year-old. Crying wasn't going to solve her problem. Now, more than ever, she had to think.

"Thanks, Dad. I wish I had an idea, but right now I'm coming up dry."

Gabriel brushed aside a stray lock of hair that had fallen over her face, and tried to give her an encouraging smile. "We could go see the king. Maybe he could help."

She sighed. "If only he weren't out of his mind, that would be my first and only plan," she agreed. "But as things stand, it's hopeless."

Something in his expression made Chloe narrow her eyes. "What is it, Dad? What did I say?"

Her father smiled again, this time more brightly. "Maybe it's not as hopeless as you think."


	14. Chapter 13

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Thirteen**

From the balcony of her palace apartment, Chloe watched the sun rise over the tiled gables of the palace outbuildings through bleary eyes. After a long and sleepless night, she was barely able to stand up without leaning on the marble railing for support, but still, she ignored her father's voice behind her as he urged her to come inside, away from the chill dawn air.

In the growing light, the dim outline of the high walls surrounding the palace complex was becoming clearer, and her long vigil was at last rewarded; she was able to make out the forbidding shape of one of the fortified stone towers along its length. In that tower, or one like it, Prince Alexander had imprisoned Kal-El, surrounding him with the poisonous green rocks that sapped his strength.

All night long, she'd imagined Kal shackled in one of those towers, lying on a floor strewn with dirty straw, his still face sickly and pale in the glow of the treacherous rocks. She could almost hear him moaning in his sleep, calling her name, and opening tortured eyes that fixed on hers accusingly….

Shivering, she drew Gabriel's cloak a little closer around her shoulders. It rustled softly over the rumpled crimson silk of her borrowed gown, which looked slightly wilted after a night spent pacing the floor. The rosy light struck on the silk, turning it the same shade as the blood that had oozed from Kal's shoulder after a soldier had pierced it with a spear. A spear that, normally, would have broken against Kal's skin as easily as a child's toy, if he hadn't made the mistake of rushing to Chloe's side.

Kal's greatest weakness wasn't the green rocks, Chloe thought grimly. _She_ was.

Numbly, she watched as a tear rolled off her cheek and splashed against the ruby-colored folds of her skirt, where it glistened like a droplet from a fresh wound.

Chloe rubbed her eyes angrily, as if that could somehow erase the memory of how she'd unknowingly let Alexander use her as bait. "This is all my fault," she repeated for the hundredth time, exhaling heavily, aware that her father was watching her anxiously from the curtained opening that led to her apartment. "I should never have risked letting Kal get near the prince. I should never have let him come here at all."

Gabriel frowned, and Chloe noticed that the furrows around his mouth had grown deeper as the night had worn on. He'd insisted on staying up with her, and the lack of rest showed clearly in the shadows encircling the older man's eyes.

His well-worn response came automatically. "No sense blaming yourself. His Highness did this, not you."

"If it weren't for me, Kal would be back in his Fortress," she murmured stubbornly, but accepted his outstretched hand and allowed herself to be led back into the relative warmth of her well-furnished suite.

During the night she'd told Gabriel about Kal's magnificent crystal palace and the weeks that she'd spent there, learning more about him and his lost world. Her father had listened, fascinated, to her description of the Fortress' many wonders, especially her magical library and lush garden, but when she described the all-but-impossible task Jor-El had set for her and Kal, she'd heard a very loud, very disapproving sniff.

"A _bracelet_? He wants you to find a _bracelet_?" Gabriel had burst out, looking outraged. "What a silly way to pick a mate for your child. No offense, but he doesn't sound like much of a father."

Privately, Chloe couldn't have agreed more. Jor-El seemed to care a lot more about Kal's world-conquering "destiny" than his future happiness. Chloe stood in the way of his plans, and she was reasonably sure that the quest for the elusive bracelet was just an excuse to separate her from Kal.

If so, he'd succeeded. He'd claimed it was hidden somewhere in the city of Metropolis, but they hadn't managed to find it last night at the banquet, in spite of Kal's keen scrutiny of the jewel-encrusted noble guests. Where else could it be? All night long, Chloe had tried, and failed, to imagine a logical hiding-place for Lara's lovely, simple golden band, with its three clear gems.

Not that it mattered much anymore, she reflected. Thanks to Alexander, they'd never have a chance to go after it even if they knew where it was. And without it, Jor-El had decreed that they could never be bonded. She'd lost Kal forever.

Even worse, if Kal didn't return to the Fortress within a week, the world itself might not survive. She was glad she hadn't shared that particular threat of Jor-El's with her father; she was worried enough about it for the both of them.

Sighing, she sank onto the edge of her bed, trying not to think of the pleasure she and Kal had shared there only a few short hours ago. Now it seemed like something that had happened in another life. Absently stroking the finely-woven coverlet, she remembered the warmth of his touch on her bare skin and wished, one more time, for the power to erase everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. If she'd known that her curiosity would have endangered Kal in any way, she never would have lifted that lamp to see his face. She would have gladly lived in the Fortress without ever finding out the truth.

A mirthless smile curled her lips. _Liar_, she accused herself. _Kal-El was doomed the minute he met you._ Moisture welled up again in her eyes, and angrily she pinched them shut to hide the tears from her father's sight.

The gentle touch on her shoulder made her start, and she blinked up at Gabriel, who was eying her severely. "You're doing it again," he chided. "Whatever that 'Fortress' is, I can see it's had a bad influence on you. How'd you get this overblown sense of guilt?"

Chloe thought of a certain over-conscientious farmboy turned demigod, and felt the gloom lift just a little. Smiling, she tried, unsuccessfully, to dry her wet cheeks with fingers that were still moist from her last round of tears. "I guess it comes with the territory."

Gabriel huffed and held out a clean square of white linen. "In that case, I wish you'd explore some new territory. This is my last handkerchief."

A ragged laugh escaped her lips as she took it. "Dad, what would I do without you?" she murmured, dabbing her eyes.

Her father's hand curled around hers comfortingly as he sat down beside her. Reddened from years of tending sheep outdoors in all weather, its rough texture looked odd against the soft velvet sleeve of Gabriel's official livery, but to Chloe, its familiarity was soothing.

"If only I could be of real help," he said sadly. "I'm sorry I got your hopes up by suggesting that we see King Leo."

Chloe shook her head wearily. "Please don't apologize again, Dad. There's no way you could have known that Alexander would post guards around my door. And there's nothing you could have done about it, anyway."

The guards had arrived shortly after they'd returned to her chamber. Respectfully but firmly, they'd made it clear that she wouldn't be allowed to leave without the prince's permission. Gabriel, of course, had marched off indignantly to see Alexander; Chloe, meanwhile, had sized up the twin chunks of mail-clad granite flanking the entrance to her apartment and had immediately started plotting ways to get around them, so far without luck. They never seemed to leave their posts, and the apartment was too high up to try jumping off the balcony.

"I wish you'd agree to let me speak to His Majesty on your behalf," her father pleaded.

"_No_," she replied firmly. "You know the prince would be furious. I'd rather have him blame me than you for going behind his back. Besides," she added with a dejected shrug, "what good would it do? Leo's not known for mercy. He'd probably just claim Kal-El for himself. That is, if he weren't crazy."

"He's not crazy; he's sick," Gabriel said insistently. "I have an idea how to help him and—and, if it works, I was hoping he'd be willing to grant us a favor out of gratitude."

"King Leo the Crafty grateful? I wouldn't count on it," Chloe retorted. "I think he invented the word 'doublecross.' Trust me, Dad, he's more dangerous _in_ his right mind than out of it."

She shot a curious look at her father. "What was your idea, by the way? You still haven't told me."

There it was again, that guilty flash in her father's eyes, just as it had been every other time she'd asked that question. Abruptly, Gabriel got to his feet and walked toward the balcony, looking through the filmy curtains at the rosy tint of the morning sky while Chloe watched him, an uneasy feeling at the pit of her stomach.

"It doesn't matter now. Not if we can't see him," he said sadly, and frowned at her over his shoulder. "I don't understand why Alexander refused to let you go. You're no threat to him."

Mentally, Chloe rolled her eyes. "Dad, I'm his insurance," she replied patiently, wondering how many times she'd have to explain that to him. "If Kal escapes, he can use me as a hostage."

She didn't bother adding that she had no intention of letting that happen. If—no, _when_—she rescued Kal, she'd ask him to take her far away from here, to one of those exotic places they'd talked about, like the southern islands or the city called Venice where they drank _caffe_. It would break her heart to be separated from her father, but at least she'd have the satisfaction of foiling the prince's plan—and the satisfaction of never having to see Lana's sugary-sweet smile ever again.

The tread of her father's footsteps on the thick Oriental carpet interrupted her train of thought. The first rays of the sun poured through the curtains, warming her tear-soaked cheeks and silhouetting her father's sturdy figure as he returned from the window. Squinting against the brightness, she saw that Gabriel was examining her face in the sunlight, a worried frown creasing his forehead. "You look pale, child. Shall I order a page to bring you breakfast?"

In a more hopeful tone, he added, "I'll go see Alexander as soon as he's up. Maybe he's changed his mind. I still can't believe he'd do such a thing."

As tired as she was, Chloe felt an exasperated, but affectionate, smile spread across her face as she met the troubled eyes of the most innocent Lord Chief Steward in the universe. They were as gentle, and as trusting, as a lamb's.

She sobered instantly. As any shepherd's daughter knew, lambs and wolves didn't mix.

"I wish you didn't have so much faith in the prince," she muttered. Chewing her lip, she added, "Or the king."

Ignoring his confused reaction, she added insistently, "Dad, level with me. I want to know why you're so sure the king is recovering. What was this 'idea' of yours?"

Gabriel grimaced. "I'd rather not say. It's not something I'm proud of."

Chloe's eyebrows shot up. "Why?"

He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as Chloe pinned him with a look. "_Dad_."

Heaving a resigned sigh, he dropped his eyes, standing in front of her and wringing his workworn hands like a guilty schoolboy. "I've stopped serving His Majesty the meals that Alexander was preparing for him. I know it was presumptuous of me, but I couldn't help noticing that the king does better when he eats other food. I'm afraid that whatever medicine the prince is using is not having the desired effect."

"That's why I was late to the banquet last night," he said apologetically, as Chloe listened with a growing sense of horror. "I cooked and served the king's dinner myself."

Groaning, she buried her head in her hands. "Oh, Dad."

She's suspected Alexander was up to no good, but even she hadn't thought he'd go this far. He was poisoning the king and here was her own father, unwittingly getting in the way.

Lambs and wolves.

She pinched her eyes shut to block out the vision of what had happened to their flock the last time a wolf had attacked it.

That Gabriel would be found out was a foregone conclusion, which meant that rescuing King Leo had suddenly become crucial. Whether the king agreed to help Kal or not, he was her father's only protection. They had to get to the king before the prince did.

"Please don't tell His Highness," Gabriel said anxiously. "It might offend him if he found out."

"It certainly might," Chloe muttered under her breath, peering up at him from between her fingers. "Oh, _Dad_."

Gabriel knelt in front of her, his face a picture of penitence. "I admit it was wrong," he said earnestly, "but I was very careful to keep what I did secret. I did all the cooking myself. I didn't even bring a page along to help deliver the meal, as I usually do."

Apparently mistaking her silence for approval, he relaxed and his smile broadened. "Speaking of which, how about that breakfast? I can have a page up here in a few minutes."

"I'm not hungry," she murmured, scouring her brain for some way out of their predicament.

Then his words sank in, and, jolted by a sudden revelation, she straightened, dropping her hands. Eyes wide, she stared at her father. "Hold it. Did you say a _page_?"

Gabriel returned the stare apprehensively. "Whatever your idea is," he said slowly as he climbed to his feet, "I don't like it."

Tilting her head back, she gave him a disarming grin. "You haven't heard it yet."

"I don't have to. You have that look in your eye."

"Look?" she echoed innocently. "What look?"

"The same one you had the day you sneaked off the palace grounds without telling me to visit the town's new printing press."

Oops. She might have known he'd bring that up. "I was sixteen years old," she protested. "Hardly a baby."

"We'd just moved to the city," he countered. "And you were gone for hours." His kind eyes crinkled with concern. "I'm still thankful you came home at all."

Chloe's grin faded, remembering how panicked he'd been when she'd finally returned, long after she'd meant to, because she'd gotten lost. Blushing, she added, "I've got a confession to make, Dad. I never would have made it home that day on my own. I had help."

Gabriel, unexpectedly, didn't seem surprised. "Let me guess. Kal."

Her brows arched skyward. "Are you psychic all of a sudden?"

It was his turn to grin, although it didn't erase the dark circles from around his eyes. "No, just a parent. I could tell from the glow in your face."

"Was I really that obvious?" she asked ruefully, feeling uncomfortably self-conscious under his indulgent scrutiny. "Not that I saw him," she explained, remembering the mysterious breeze that had pushed and tugged her homewards. "He couldn't show his face to me back then, but he was always there."

Gabriel's voice was quiet. "Kal must care a great deal for you."

After what she'd done to Kal, she was no longer sure that was true, but Chloe didn't have the heart to tell that to her father. She looked away for a moment, afraid to let him see yet another round of tears. "I hope so."

Turning back to him, she raised pleading eyes. "Please, Dad, I need your help. _We_ need your help."

Her father regarded her gravely. "Has he made you happy?"

Meeting his steady gaze, she answered, truthfully, "Yes."

Gabriel nodded thoughtfully. "In that case," he said slowly, "Tell me your idea."

Exhaling a relieved breath, Chloe popped up from the bed and gave her father a quick, breathless hug. Then, with a cautious glance at the double doors, she leaned close to his ear and lowered her voice to a whisper. "First, you need to find a page who's about my size. Then, here's what we'll do……"


	15. Chapter 14

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Gabriel couldn't suppress a fond smile as his younger daughter emerged from behind the embroidered screen in one corner of her palace apartment dressed, from her boots to her perky feathered cap, in the black-and-silver livery of one of the prince's pages. Her short golden curls spilled out from underneath the edges of the cap as she adjusted it to a rakish angle, studying her slender reflection in a nearby looking-glass.

The boy's clothes made her look even younger than she really was, and he wondered, again, how so much spirit, not to mention stubbornness, could be packed into so small a frame. Up until the time the mysterious Kal-El had swept her away, he'd been afraid that no one else would ever see in her what he saw.

For a fearsome demigod, he decided, Kal-El showed unexpected good taste.

There were, come to think of it, a lot of things about Kal-El that were unexpected, he mused as his daughter continued to twist and turn in front of the mirror. His gentleness, for one thing; his thoughtfulness, for another. Gabriel was no expert on divine beings, but he couldn't imagine the gods he knew restraining themselves the way Kal-El had done, if they were after a prize like this magic bracelet. They probably would have stormed in armed with lightning bolts and taken what they wanted, without all of this secrecy. Kal-El, amazingly, wasn't like that at all; he seemed anxious not to harm or frighten mortals with his power. It was as if he actually cared about them.

Another thing that surprised Gabriel was that Kal-El's face seemed so familiar. When he'd seen it at last night's banquet, Gabriel could have sworn they'd met before, as unlikely as that seemed. He wished he could remember where.

"It's a little big," he heard Chloe remark plaintively.

Turning his attention back to her, he saw that she was plucking at the tunic's baggy folds, which hung shapelessly over the contours of her figure, with a dissatisfied frown. "Couldn't you find anything smaller in the palace?"

Gabriel glanced downwards and harrumphed. "On the contrary, I'm glad I didn't," he said reprovingly. "If I had, there's no way you'd pass for a boy."

She grinned, pulling the material tight against her chest and inspecting it. "Good point."

Gabriel harrumphed again. "Sorry," she said quickly, releasing the fabric so that it billowed out again. "It's just that I feel as if I'm drowning in this."

"The less of you there is to see, the less there is for the guards to notice," he advised, nodding at the double doors that led into the outside corridor.

Swallowing hard, he thought about the risk they were about to take. "If all goes well," he added darkly.

He jumped at the light touch on his arm. Chloe was patting it reassuringly, looking up at him with a firm set to her jaw that both encouraged and scared him. "Did you do as I said?"

Silently, Gabriel abandoned the small shred of hope he'd clung to, that his daughter would call off her plan and let him go to the king alone. Chloe wasn't built to give up. "Those two sentries are enjoying the best breakfast the palace kitchen has to offer," he confirmed. "You were right; after a long night standing in a drafty hallway, they were famished. It was a miracle, but I managed to find two kitchen boys who were awake at this hour, and they've got instructions to keep the guards well-fed and well-supplied with jugs of ale. Weak ale, of course."

In spite of his anxiety, he felt the corners of his mouth tug upwards. "Or, at least, that's what I told the guards."

"Let's hope it's strong enough to keep them from noticing one servant too many when you and I leave. All we need is a minute," she murmured.

The soles of her pointed leather boots scarcely made a sound on the thick carpet as she crossed the chamber and picked up an ornate silver tray from a small table near the doors, balancing it carefully with both hands to avoid spilling its contents, which included a porcelain bowl filled with fragrant cinnamon-spiked porridge and a graceful gilded jug and goblet.

Chloe eyed the porridge doubtfully. "Is this really what King Leo has for breakfast? It doesn't look very—regal."

"Lately, it's all he's been able to eat, poor man," Gabriel replied, sighing.

"That bad?" Her brows shot up. "I hope he's able to talk to us."

Gabriel tried his best to sound confident. "He's been without the prince's medicine since breakfast yesterday. The side effects should have worn off by now," he reported.

The odd look Chloe gave him puzzled him. "Whatever Alexander's using, I wish we had it now," she muttered. There was a sharp edge to her voice that took him by surprise. "I would've loved to see what side effects it might have had on our guards."

"Excuse me?" he asked, totally lost.

"Never mind," she said, brushing by him to stand in front of the closed doors, silver tray in tow. She glanced up at him. "Speaking of the guards, we'd better check on how they're doing."

Still pondering her last remark, Gabriel cautiously cracked open one door, and both he and Chloe leaned close to it, listening intently. In the hallway, two male voices were chattering happily over the clink of plates and cups, interrupted now and then by the higher-pitched questions of their young servers.

The voices came from the left side of the entrance; the guards sounded as if they'd settled down on the floor together, no doubt the better to eat (and drink) more freely, which was just what his daughter had hoped. If they'd abandoned their posts flanking the doors, it would make it easier to escape unnoticed.

Gabriel softly released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Good. It looked as if Chloe's plan was working.

He glanced down at the tousled blonde curls that bobbed next to him at chin-level, narrowly avoiding a collision with the feather sticking up out of the page's cap that Chloe wore. In that outfit, she reminded him of the laughing child in boy's clothes who'd so often chased with him through muddy fields in search of stray sheep. He wondered, a little wistfully, where that tomboy had gone.

The feather quivered as Chloe tilted her head upwards, and Gabriel caught his breath. There was nothing childish about the look of steely determination in those hazel eyes.

His little tomboy had grown up. And, he thought, admiring the stubborn set of her delicate jaw and the flush in her cheeks, she was beautiful.

Chloe's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "What is it, Dad?"

"Nothing," he stammered quickly, forcing the words through a tight throat. "It's just….I'm very proud of you."

The slow grin that lit up her face seemed, to Gabriel, like a sudden sunrise after their long and sleepless night. For a moment, they shared a silent look, while the guards' voices outside rose in volume.

Their words were so slurred now that they were barely recognizable, and they were punctuated frequently by bursts of laughter. Chloe, sobering, straightened and clenched the silver tray more tightly in her small fists.

"Now?" she asked softly, lifting her chin.

At his curt nod, she motioned for him to open the door. "Now," he whispered, and together they stepped out into the hallway.

************

Chloe carefully avoided glancing at the guards as she spun on her heel to the right and started down the corridor, knowing that her father was close behind. Almost too afraid to breathe, she forced herself to keep to a normal pace, ready to break into a run at the first sign of a challenge.

When one of the guards bellowed for more ale, Chloe stifled a gasp, nearly toppling the tray's contents onto the marble floor. Steadying it just in time, she willed her knees to stop shaking and kept walking, mentally counting off the yards to the sharp bend in the corridor which would take them out of sight. She could feel Gabriel draw closer, marching beside her in tense silence as they approached the corner.

"Hey! Steward!"

Both of them ground to a halt. Chloe, biting her lip nervously, kept her face turned forward and hoped the guards couldn't see how badly her tray was shaking. Her father wheeled around, stepping behind her and shielding her from the guards' view.

"Yes, Sergeant?" Chloe was impressed that her father's voice trembled only slightly.

His question was greeted with an eruption of high-pitched giggles. "Here'sh to you, Yer Honor," came the garbled reply as two goblets clanged together. "Thanksh fer ever'thing."

Dizzy with relief, Chloe took off; they lost no time turning the corner and leaving the sloshed sentries to the pleasures of plate and bottle. As they did, Chloe offered up heartfelt thanks to whichever being, mortal or immortal, had invented ale.

She was glad the guards were enjoying themselves while they could. They were going to be a lot less happy after Prince Alexander was through with them.

The thought of Alexander reminded her that they were pressed for time. Cautiously she checked up and down the length of the corridor, which was decorated with brightly-painted frescoes, hoping that at this early hour it would be deserted. It was, almost; the only sign of life was a bleary-eyed maidservant at the far end, sleepily dusting a statue.

Good. "Which way to the Royal Chambers?" she asked her father in an urgent whisper as she picked up speed. "You lead."

Gabriel hurried ahead of her, leading the way along the corridor, down a wide staircase, and through a colonnaded portico bordering the central courtyard, while Chloe followed as fast as she could without toppling the pitcher, jug and bowl on her tray. The further they went, the more ornate the furnishings became and the more servants there were rushing to and fro, including several pages dressed exactly like Chloe. A few of them stared after the pair curiously, but no one questioned why they were in such a hurry.

Her father took a sharp turn off the portico into a corridor lined with ramrod-stiff sentries in gleaming mail and slowed his pace to a stately walk. Taking her cue from him, Chloe did the same, keeping her eyes focused straight ahead on the imposing gold-and-silver doors in the distance, beside which stood two extremely tall guards, both of whom bristled with weapons.

Gabriel marched forward without hesitation until he stood an arm's length from the doors, in between two sharp spears, two sheathed swords, and about 400 pounds of armored muscle. "Good morning," he greeted the guards calmly. "How fares His Majesty?"

Fortunately, they both seemed to recognize Gabriel at once. "Still asleep, I'll wager," one of them replied through a yawn. He peered doubtfully at Chloe's tray. "Isn't this a little early for breakfast?"

"I'm afraid the kitchen's routine was upset after all the excitement last night." Her father's voice was convincingly apologetic. "Seeing as they're running a bit ahead of schedule, I thought we should serve this to the king before it got cold."

His reply seemed to satisfy the sentry, and Chloe was just beginning to think he'd let them through when he looked her way and did a double-take. "Odd. I don't know that boy, but I could swear I've seen him before." His forehead, or at least the part that was visible underneath the brim of his bronze helmet, creased. "Is he new?"

Chloe was standing close enough to her father to feel his tension, but no sign of it showed in his face. He arched his brows at the sentry. "New?" he echoed innocently as he ushered Chloe and her tray into the king's inner sanctum. "Hardly. Why, I've known him ever since he was born."

Chloe hid a smile as they stepped into a small ante-room hung with silk tapestries. As soon as the heavy doors swung shut behind them, she slid her tray onto the nearest side-table and rushed to give her father an impulsive peck on the cheek.

He gave her a perplexed look. "What was that for?"

"Nothing," she replied. "Just….I'm very proud of you."

His answer was cut off by a noise coming from beyond a curtained archway on the other side of the small room. Gabriel, with a worried glance, cautiously drew back the heavy amethyst velvet folds and slipped through the opening, with Chloe close behind.

An enormous canopied bed swallowed up half the large room, its purple-and-gold fabric glistening in the sunlight that streamed through rows of stained-glass windows. Its oaken posts were carved with figures of various fierce mythical beasts that reared and snarled at any who dared face the bed's sole occupant. And it was at that occupant that Chloe and her father both stared wordlessly.

In the midst of acres of ivory brocaded coverlet, which the tinted sunlight had turned into a mosaic of many-colored gems, a gaunt figure in a linen nightshirt sat bolt upright, his auburn curls gleaming as if they were on fire.

King Leo's steel-blue eyes were wide open and pointed directly at her. "You!" he hissed. "What are _you_ doing here?"


	16. Chapter 15

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Chloe's mind raced frantically. She hadn't expected Leo to recognize her from their one and only meeting in his throne room, especially since he'd spent most of that meeting possessed by Jor-El. Apparently, she'd made a bigger impression than she'd thought, for better or worse.

At least he was awake, and that was what counted right now. Plus, she was willing to bet that he'd forget about her once he heard the news she had to give him. Which meant that the sooner she delivered it, the better.

Recovering from the initial shock, she approached the royal bedside and knelt down before the glowering monarch. Without his crown and his ceremonial robes, he seemed less imposing than she remembered, but no less terrifying.

Deflecting his cold scrutiny with what she hoped was a brave smile, she recited the words she'd rehearsed on the way over. "Your Majesty, we're here to help you. You've been very sick for a long time."

Leo's expression didn't change. "I've seen your face in my dreams," he muttered darkly, as if he hadn't heard her. "Who are you?"

Chloe had no intention of telling him. "My father's your Chief Steward," she evaded, motioning to Gabriel, who stepped forward timidly. "He's the one who, er, cured you of your……illness."

The glint in his eye told her that she'd gotten his attention at last. "Illness? What illness?"

Humbly, her father sank to his knees next to her. "A mysterious one, sire," he mumbled to the floor. "Although I can't really take credit for curing you. All I did was stop giving you the prince's medicine."

There was a small, ominous pause as Leo's eyes narrowed. Slowly, a mirthless smile spread across his face.

"I see," he remarked, in a wry voice that told Chloe that her message had been received. Leo gestured for them both to rise. "Tell me. How long has my dear son been treating me?"

"About a year," Gabriel huffed breathlessly as Chloe helped him clamber to his feet. As soon as he was up, he hurried across the room and returned with a fur-trimmed dressing gown and soft leather slippers, which he held out to the king, bowing.

Moving with surprising agility for someone who'd just awoken from a drugged stupor, Leo threw off the covers and accepted the robe, belting it over his nightgown. "A year?" he said, his expression darkening. "I didn't think Alexander would be quite so patient. But then, he has a gift for timing. Something must have convinced him that this was the right moment for a _coup_."

He met her father's puzzled gaze. "I wonder what it was."

Gabriel, as she'd expected, completely misunderstood. "Sire, are you asking when you fell ill? It happened in your throne room, soon after you graciously granted an audience to me and"—he nodded in Chloe's direction—"to my daughters."

Leo's gaze snapped back towards Chloe. "_That's_ where I saw you," he said, eyeing her closely. "There was a blinding light, and then—nothing." Taking a step closer to her, he added, softly, "It's a pity I can't remember more."

Chloe shifted nervously, anxious to make an exit before Leo's memory improved. Learning that Jor-El had used him as a mouthpiece definitely wouldn't help the royal temper. Besides, now that her father was reasonably safe from Alexander's wrath, it was time for her to start looking for Kal.

Boldly, she decided to try killing two birds with one stone. "Shall we summon the prince, Your Majesty?"

From Gabriel's shocked expression, it was clear that he thought she'd lost her mind. After all, she'd just barely managed to slip Alexander's clutches; why volunteer to go back into them?

Chloe pretended not to notice his surprise, aware that Gabriel didn't realize that she had no intention of delivering the message to the prince personally. It would be easy to delegate the task to a guard, thereby keeping Alexander occupied and leaving her free to find Kal without the prince's interference.

Unexpectedly, Leo chuckled, with a cold amusement that raised the hairs on the back of her neck. "No need for that, my dear," he drawled pleasantly. "He'll be here soon enough without my help."

He arched his brows at Chloe's puzzled frown. "I trust you're aware that Alexander probably had you both followed. It's what _I_ would have done."

"But we couldn't possibly have been….." Her protest died on her lips as the king's meaning sank in. Alexander was cautious, and a cautious man trusted no one.

Especially not the father of his latest prisoner. The prince, she realized, had set a spy on Gabriel.

Chloe thought of the two kitchen boys who'd served the sentries, and felt a chill run down her spine. Hadn't Gabriel said it was unusual for them to be awake so early? It would have been so easy for one or both to trail their footsteps, carefully keeping out of sight. Right now they were probably racing across the palace at top speed to warn the prince.

She flushed, angry that she'd fallen so easily into the prince's trap. He'd been one step ahead of them the whole time.

"I see you understand," Leo murmured approvingly, and examined her outfit with a little too much interest. "Don't feel too badly, my dear. For what it's worth, you make an adorable page."

Her flush deepened at the knowing leer on his face. Turning away, she grabbed her father's arm. "Come on, Dad, we've got to get out of here."

"I'm afraid it's too late for that," the king cut in sharply. "You're not going anywhere until I get some answers from both of you."

Desperately, Chloe searched the room for an open window or some other way out that might be unguarded. Her gaze halted on a tall alabaster pedestal displaying a gold-trimmed pillow; atop the pillow, gleaming against its dark velvet, was the slender golden crown the king had worn at their audience. Its three white gems winked at her in the sunlight.

They weren't nearly as dazzling as they'd been the day Jor-El had made his surprise appearance. Back then, they'd flared to life the minute the king had looked at her. She wished they'd do the same thing now; she and her father could use the distraction.

The circlet sat there unchanged, and she scowled at the three precious jewels almost accusingly. Where was Jor-El when they _really_ needed him?

Then she sucked in a breath. Three gems. Three _white_ gems, set in a thin golden band.

It wasn't possible. It couldn't be that simple. Could it?

She tried to speak, but discovered that her throat was too dry. Swallowing, she tried again. "Jor-El. If you can hear me, please come." She paused long enough to hear the rapid pounding of her own heartbeat. "I've found Lara's bracelet."

Instantly, a familiar blinding light erupted from the crown, filling every corner of the chamber.

"Oh no," she heard Gabriel groan. "Not again."

With a sense of triumph, Chloe turned back to the king, blinking against the glare.

The white, vacant eyes that stared back at her were a dramatic contrast from King Leo's. There was no sign of emotion in his face, but when he spoke, it was in a tone of grudging approval. _"Congratulations. For a human, you show unusual perception."_

"Jor-El," she said quickly. "Kal-El is in danger. We need your help."

His expression didn't change, but his voice hardened. _"What have you done?"_

Chloe gulped.


	17. Chapter 16

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Sixteen**

As she stared up at the forbidding presence towering over her, it was obvious to Chloe that Jor-El's mood had not improved since she'd last seen him in the Fortress. Except this time, she reflected guiltily as those sightless eyes bored into hers accusingly, he had a right to be angry.

Her answer wasn't going to make him any happier, but she knew this was no time to dress up the truth, even if she'd wanted to. The prince was due any minute and, like it or not, if she wanted to save Kal, she needed to enlist Jor-El's help as quickly as possible.

Anxious to get it over with, she let the words tumble out of her quickly, before she lost her nerve. "Prince Alexander knows about the green rocks. He's taken Kal-El prisoner."

The king's sightless eyes widened as, next to the windows, the crystals in the disguised bracelet flared to white-hot radiance. Both Chloe and her father shielded their eyes from the scorching glare.

"I didn't betray him, Jor-El," she heard herself say with a calmness that she was nowhere near feeling. "I swear."

"_Nevertheless, this would not have happened had he not come here with you."_

Chloe winced at the accusation, knowing he was right, and fought the urge to cry. Pinching her eyes to shut in the moisture she could feel building up, she whispered hoarsely, "I'll pay whatever price you ask, Jor-El. If you want my life, take it."

"Chloe!" Her father's shocked exclamation barely registered on her consciousness as she waited, trembling, for Jor-El's response, bracing herself for the worst.

When nothing happened, she drew a steadying breath and forced herself to open her eyes. Blinking several times to clear her vision, she peered through the radiance at the possessed king's motionless figure. It hurt almost as much as staring into the sun.

Chloe kept her gaze steady, ignoring the stabbing pain in her retinas, and made one more desperate appeal. "Just save him, _please_."

The figure remained strangely quiet, but the eye-searing glare faded to a more comfortable level. As it did, her vision adjusted to the softer light, giving her a better view of the face bending over her. Was it her imagination, or had its taut lines eased just a little?

When the figure finally spoke, it was in a voice very different from the one he'd used before. _"You would be willing to sacrifice your life for my son's sake?"_

The question sounded oddly gentle. Mutely, Chloe nodded.

Whatever Jor-El's reaction was, she didn't see it, because her view was blocked by a pair of squared shoulders. Gabriel, grim-faced, had stepped in front of her and was addressing their otherworldly visitor with uncharacteristic firmness.

"Take my life," he said as she listened, horrified. "Not hers."

Frantically, she pushed past her father to protest, but the words died in her throat as she glanced at the king's face. He was staring at Gabriel with an expression that, in spite of his blank eyes, almost looked surprised.

"_You, too, offer your life? Why?"_

Gabriel held his ground, tilting his head as if puzzled by the question, while Chloe looked on nervously. "I'd gladly die to save my child," he answered quietly. "Wouldn't you?"

She was half-expecting Jor-El to brush off Gabriel with some cutting remark about human foolishness; instead, to her astonishment, he said nothing, staring at her increasingly bewildered father in silence.

The possessed king's long, bleak sigh nearly made Chloe jump. His blank gaze aimed downwards, focusing on something that only he could see.

"_I already did_," the king's voice murmured sadly.

For an instant, in the corner of one vacant eye, Chloe could have sworn she caught the faint glimmer of a tear.

She wasn't sure why—whether it was some magic in the crystals, or her own overactive imagination—but Chloe had a sudden, fleeting glimpse of the same expression on the face of Kal-El's real father as he took one last, longing look at the infant son he would never see grow up. And, for the first time, her heart ached for Jor-El.

Once, a long time ago, Kal-El had meant more to him than world conquest, and what was left of him still remembered that. Buried underneath that overbearing Kryptonian attitude, the memory still lived. And all it had taken to bring it back was the sight of one devoted father.

Her gaze traveled from the haunted, aristocratic face to the innocent confusion on Gabriel's. The two men couldn't have been less alike, and yet maybe—just maybe—Kal's father and her own weren't so different after all.

The thought gave her renewed hope. Clearing her throat tentatively, she turned back to the brooding figure and tried again to get through to him, putting all the persuasiveness she had in her voice. "You saved Kal-El once, Jor-El. Won't you help us save him again?"

Slowly, the king raised his head. Pale eyes bored into hers as if they were seeing her for the first time. _"What do you wish me to do?"_

She closed her eyes briefly and exhaled a relieved sigh. "You control Leo, and he's the king. Order the guards to release Kal."

Leo's tumbled mass of curls caught the sunlight as the possessed figure's head shook from side to side, rejecting the idea. _"It would do no good."_ The regret in his voice was plain. _"I have access to this human's memories of his son. Alexander would not obey such an order."_

Biting her lip, Chloe realized that he was right. It was too much to hope that the ambitious prince would give up his biggest prize without a fight. A direct order would probably just force Alexander to hide Kal somewhere else, where he'd be much harder to find.

"Then what can we do?" she demanded. "There must be _something_."

The figure whirled so abruptly that Chloe, alarmed, took a step back until she realized where he was headed. The soft fur lining of his billowing robe brushed against her legs as he swept by her on his way to the alabaster pedestal that held Lara's transformed bracelet. Carefully, with both hands, he lifted the circlet from the richly-colored velvet pillow and held it out to Chloe.

Hesitantly, she stepped closer. As she did, the circlet's three gems glowed brighter, and Chloe thought she could see flashes of color dancing in their depths.

"_The power to free him is here,_" Jor-El's deep voice announced. "_But I cannot activate it. That is for Kal-El's true soulmate alone._"

She was so busy studying the ever-changing patterns of light that it took a second for Jor-El's meaning to sink in. When it did, she jerked her head up sharply.

"You want me to touch it," she said flatly, not bothering to make it a question. "It's the final test."

The king's head inclined slightly in confirmation. "_As I have said, it contains the memories of my wife." _The voice dipped to an almost-reverent whisper. _"She was far better than I at understanding matters of the heart._"

That, Chloe could easily believe. She eyed the innocent-looking circlet and took a few deep breaths to control the wild hammering in her chest. What if she flunked the test? Who would help Kal then?

Sternly, she told herself there was no reason to be nervous. After all, she'd already faced down Jor-El. Compared to that, convincing Lara should be easy.

Still, she stared at the gems, somehow unable to move. "Wait," she said, stalling for time. "This can't really be Lara's bracelet, can it? I mean, it's a crown. The whole kingdom knows the story. King Leo made it after he found the crystals."

"_Which was exactly what I intended_," Jor-El countered dryly, still offering the pillow. "_If Kal-El's mate is located among humans, then so should the means of identifying her. Purely a matter of logic_."

There was a pause. _"You may touch it," _the voice prompted gently.

Chloe's hand trembled as she stretched it out toward the golden circlet. "Now or never," she muttered under her breath, trying to ignore the dizzying sense that the floor was shifting under her feet.

Her forefinger pressed against the smooth, faceted surface of the central gem. It felt oddly warm to the touch. She had no idea if this was a good sign or a bad one, so she squeezed her eyes shut and hoped for the best.

Suddenly, she couldn't feel the gem at all. At the same time, the light beating against her closed eyelids grew stronger. She choked back a startled gasp, still not daring to look.

Jor-El's voice seemed to come from a long way away. "_It seems_," it said mildly, "_that the decision is made_."

Chloe's eyes flew open and she stared nervously at the dazzling object on the pillow. It was, if anything, even brighter than before, but for some reason it no longer hurt her to look through the radiance.

The crown had disappeared. In its place gleamed an identical, but much smaller, golden band, just the right size for her wrist.

This, Chloe concluded in relief, was definitely a good sign.

The shrunken crystals blazed like frozen fire, tinting the inside of her outstretched palm shell-pink. Pure white light streamed through the spaces between her fingers and struck a shower of rainbows from the stained-glass windows, painting the chamber in brilliant shades of red, blue, gold, green, and violet.

As she watched, the colors began to shift and swirl around them in a rhythm that looked, strangely, like the fluttering of delicate wings. For the space of an awestruck breath, she was caught, motionless, in a whirlwind of magical butterflies.

Dimly she became aware that her father was by her side. Unlike her, he was squinting, as if the light bothered him.

With a shielding hand cupped over his eyes, he examined the bracelet and gaped in disbelief. He shook his head, closed his mouth, then opened it again. "Well," he said at last. "Well. Who would have thought?"

The silent figure holding the pillow remained as still as a statue. Looking up, Chloe thought she saw the king's face, bathed in the rainbow lights, relax into a smile. _"My son chose well."_

Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Chloe picked up the bracelet. Whatever the future held, she was grateful that at least one thing was settled: She and Kal would face it together.

The sound of muffled voices drifting in faintly from the corridor outside the king's apartments shook her out of her reverie. Clutching the bracelet tightly, she aimed a warning glance at Jor-El.

"It's the prince!" she hissed as her father darted a worried look toward the curtained anteroom. "What do I do now?"

"_Take the bracelet to Kal-El_," he replied imperturbably, seemingly unaware of their impending doom, as he returned the pillow to its perch on the pedestal. "_You will know what to do._"

"But the prince won't let me take _this_!" she whispered, shaking the band and triggering an even more brilliant burst of color. "I mean, look at it. It's practically begging to be noticed."

As abruptly as if she'd snuffed a candle, the rainbow lights disappeared, leaving the room lit by nothing more spectacular than the morning sunlight. At the same time, the bracelet slipped from her grasp, and Chloe felt something smooth and hard slide onto the fourth finger of her left hand. Peering down, she stifled a gasp.

Nestled at the base of her finger was the smallest, plainest ring she'd ever seen, set with three barely-noticeable darkened flecks. Even the golden band looked dull; against her skin, it was practically invisible.

She was seized with a sudden, wild urge to laugh out loud, which she suppressed just in time. "Not bad," she whispered to the ring approvingly. The tiny stones twinkled at her briefly before fading back into darkness.

From the other room, she could hear the hinges of the massive double doors slowly creaking open. Quickly, Chloe lowered her hands and shot her father a reassuring glance.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that the king's eyes had returned to normal. He was blinking and staring around him uncertainly, as if waking up from a very confusing dream.

Chloe was unsurprised at Jor-El's unannounced departure; she'd already figured out that his comings and goings depended on the power in the crystals. Once they were inactive, it made sense that he would be, too.

She stiffened suddenly, hearing light, quick steps approaching from behind the amethyst curtains. The next instant, the curtains were swept aside to reveal Prince Alexander, impeccably dressed as always in spite of the early hour.

Sharp gray eyes darted around the room, taking in both Chloe and Gabriel in one swift glance before coming to rest on the still figure of the king, who was, by now, fully recovered. Leo stared back at him with the beginnings of an amused smile.

Alexander froze, but only for a second. His face relaxed into an expression of amazed delight and he moved forward with easy grace. "Father! What a wonderful surprise!" He bowed respectfully—but, Chloe noticed, not too low. "I'm delighted to see that you're feeling better."

Straightening, he tossed an accusing look at Chloe and Gabriel. "I heard you were being disturbed. I came as soon as I could."

Examining his father from foot to head with every appearance of sincere concern, the prince said, "Are you sure you should be out of bed?" There was a faintly worried crease in his forehead as he added, "You can't afford to risk a relapse. We might lose you."

Chloe felt like applauding. If she hadn't known better, she would never have suspected that this show of filial devotion came from the same son who'd spent the last several months feeding his father slow poison. Did anything, she mused, ever catch the prince off balance?

Then she caught the dangerous gleam in Leo's eye, and knew the royal performance, however impressive, had been useless. "Bravo. Very touching," Leo said curtly, returning his son's worried gaze with a cold stare. Slowly, Alexander's expression hardened, and a faint flush tinted his pale cheeks as the two locked eyes.

It was Alexander who blinked first. Recovering quickly, he spun around on Chloe and pinned her with a look. "I can see you're going to be a problem," he remarked grimly. "What do you suggest I do about it?"

"No use changing the subject, Son," the king interjected, in an equally grim tone. "I'll ask the questions here. Such as, the name of my doctor?"

Alexander met his eyes steadily, and said nothing.

"Ah," Leo said pleasantly. "I take it I didn't have one?"

Gabriel's head shot up. "Of course you did, the prince worked with the Royal Physician…." He trailed off uncertainly at the stony stare Alexander directed at him.

Turning back to the king, Alexander injected a note of urgency into his voice. "Father, isn't it obvious that these people are trying to turn you against me? This woman is the bride of the monster who's responsible for your first seizure. He's our most powerful enemy, and I have him prisoner. She and her father"—the prince nodded coldly toward Gabriel, whose mouth had fallen open—"are plotting to help him escape."

"Hmmm." Leo's gaze traveled from his son's face to Chloe's and grew calculating. "Powerful, you say?"

"Very," Alexander replied quickly, moving closer to his father and smiling conspiratorially. "But I have him under control. And as long as we control him…we control the world."

Leo, still staring at Chloe, arched his brows. Chloe stared back steadily, hoping that neither the prince nor the king could hear the hammering of her heart. It was all she could do to keep from bolting out the door and straight into the arms of the guards that were sure to be waiting outside.

By bringing up Kal, the prince had deftly managed to sidestep the king's anger, leaving her stuck with not one, but two, royal roadblocks in the way of Kal's freedom. She had to think of a way around them, and fast.

Clasping her hands behind her back, she twisted her newfound ring and prayed that it would bring her luck. "Sire, please believe me, my father and I came here only to help you. In return, I only have one request."

"And what would that be?"

Chloe lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye. "I want to see my husband. I need to be sure that he's alright. Just a few minutes, that's all I ask."

Jor-El had told her to take the crystals to Kal, and promised her that she'd know what to do. Now her only hope was to trust what he said was right. If he was, she felt sure that a few minutes would be all she'd need. If not….Chloe preferred not to think about that possibility.

The indulgent smirk on Leo's face looked eerily like the one that had just appeared on his son's. They exchanged glances. "I don't see why not, do you?" Leo asked. "A visit from such a lovely lady might improve your prisoner's mood. And, perhaps, motivate him to think more kindly of us?"

"My thoughts exactly, Father." At a lazy gesture from the prince, three armed sentries appeared from the other room. "Although when it comes to this particular lovely lady, I've learned that it's best to be cautious. She won't be going to see him alone."

He inclined his head toward the king. "With your permission, Father, I think I should go with her, and the sooner, the better."

Hearing the thinly-veiled eagerness in his voice, Chloe realized, amused, that a quick exit suited both of them very well. Not only would it get her to Kal, but it would also get Alexander out of his father's uncomfortably keen sight.

Spinning on his heel, Alexander barked at the guards, "Follow me, and bring her!"

"Just a moment, Son."

The prince halted on the threshold of the anteroom so abruptly that Chloe, surrounded by her armed escort, nearly ran into him. From where she stood, she could see the slightly nervous frown on Alexander's face just before he turned to face Leo. It disappeared without a trace as his eyes met his father's expectantly.

"When you're done with her, return here, to me and my apparently recently-appointed steward," Leo said, nodding to Gabriel, who shot an unhappy look at Chloe. He was obviously disappointed at not being able to go with her and looked as if he were about to protest, but Chloe silenced him with a warning shake of her head.

Leo seemed not to notice. "His, er, culinary capabilities seem to be much better than yours," he told the prince smoothly. "I'm looking forward to discussing menu choices with both of you"—Leo flashed him a grin that would have looked at home on a shark—"as well as your new position as royal food taster."

Chloe hid a smile as Alexander bowed again, much more stiffly than before, and stalked out of the room with her and her escort trailing behind.


	18. Chapter 17

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Chapter Seventeen**

At one corner of the palace walls, a tall, battlement-crowned tower loomed cold and forbidding even in the bright morning sunshine. Its dark granite face stood out against the lighter gray of the walls, and its few slitted windows were set with thick iron bars.

Led by the prince, the small procession made their way toward the tower across the courtyard, wordlessly passing a gathering crowd of curious servants and sleepy-eyed early risers. Peering up at the gloomy pile of rocks, Chloe thought of Kal's cheerful warmth shut away somewhere inside, and shuddered.

At Alexander's approach, the tight ring of mailed sentries stationed at the tower's base parted, saluting as he strode through them without so much as a glance. They passed inside the tower with Chloe in tow and started up the narrow, uneven steps curving around its outer walls.

The prince charged upwards, taking the steps two at a time, and Chloe's escort struggled to keep pace, grabbing Chloe's arms and pulling her along when her shorter legs refused to cooperate. She glanced through the windows at the roads and fields stretching away into the distance outside the palace walls, and blinked as they seemed to swim and blur.

It was an unpleasant reminder that she'd gone an entire night without a wink of sleep. Resolutely, she jerked her head up and squinted at the stairs winding above them toward the tower's most secure spot—its summit, where, she was sure, they would find Kal.

As if on cue, all her worries from last night came flooding back. The last time Kal had seen her, she'd been wearing the poisonous green rocks that had put him here. Would he be happy that she came, or would he just ask her to go away?

For some reason, it made her feel worse that he'd be seeing her disguised in these baggy boys' clothes. She caught herself wishing that she'd had a chance to put on something nicer for what might be their last meeting.

Rolling her eyes mentally, she decided she'd spent too much time with Lana.

A sharp tug on her upper arm jerked her back to reality, and she looked up to see a guard frowning at her and pulling her forward impatiently. The prince was now so far ahead of them on the curving staircase that he was out of sight, and her escorts redoubled their pace, dragging her with them as they struggled to catch up.

Finally, she and the guards emerged into the open air, and Chloe, winded, shook off their hold so that she could catch her breath and look around. They were standing on a large stone platform bordered by a low parapet fringed with arrow-slits. From the platform, walkways led out along the palace walls, high above the surrounding countryside. The view, from this height, was breathtaking.

But what drew Chloe's eye wasn't the magnificent landscape; it was the heavily fortified cell on one side of the platform. Built of enormous granite slabs that dwarfed the stonework of the rest of the tower, and topped by a turret of jet-black slate, it had only one reinforced oak door and one barred window. And it was guarded by sentries who held spears tipped with green rocks.

The prince was standing by the door expectantly. He lifted one hairless brow. "Remember, I'll be in there with you. I advise you not to try anything foolish."

She brushed the dirt from the courtyard off her black velvet tunic, adjusting it as best she could, and raised her eyes to meet Alexander's, hoping that she didn't look as nervous as she felt. "I'm ready."

At his gesture, one of the soldiers produced a key and heaved the door open, its little-used iron hinges screaming in loud protest. Alexander waved her forward; taking a deep breath, she stepped through into the chilly darkness with him, and the door swung shut behind them. The thud it made echoed hollowly in the vaulted chamber.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the gloom, but even before she could see Kal, she could sense his presence. She heard the unsteady tread of large feet stirring the piles of straw that were spread over the stone floor, and a tall, square-shouldered figure emerged from the shadows into the one faint beam of light that had managed to filter through the barred window.

Battered but unbowed, Kal towered over both of them like an oak in winter. His rumpled servant's livery was dusted with pieces of straw, probably from an uncomfortable night spent stretched out on the floor. In spite of that, his eyes, when they met hers, were bright.

"Chloe," he whispered, softly.

She gulped. Kal, she discovered, still had the power to make her weak at the knees, just as he had in the darkness of the Fortress.

Her arms ached to hold him, but she was all too aware that he hadn't made a single move toward her. Reluctant to risk a rebuff, she settled for examining him more closely. Against his dark tunic, his face was too pale, but he looked better than he had last night, and Chloe noticed that the wound on his chest had been dressed with a clean cotton bandage. To her surprise, there were no chains on his wrists or ankles.

A quick glance around the cell explained the lack of restraints. High above them, Chloe saw that the ceiling was studded with more of the green rocks—not too many, just enough to sap Kal's power and suck his life away by degrees.

The prince surveyed his prisoner with the satisfied smile of a zookeeper examining a prize specimen. Kal, his gaze still fixed on Chloe, ignored him.

Leaning down, Alexander murmured in Chloe's ear, "As you can see, I don't believe in unnecessary torture."

A cold wave of rage washed over her. "No, you believe in slow poison," she snapped back. "After all, it almost worked with your father."

She had the satisfaction of seeing the prince's smile fade and his jaw tighten angrily, but he said nothing.

Shifting her glance back to Kal, she noticed that he was watching her with a troubled frown. Anxiously, she did her best to sound encouraging.

"I'm going to get you out of here," she promised him, and stroked her new ring with her thumb. _Any time now_, she thought, hoping it would take the hint.

Apparently, it didn't, because the only response was a deepening of Kal's frown. He looked at her accusingly, and at once her stomach gave an uneasy lurch.

"Kal, please believe me," she stammered guiltily. "I didn't know about the prince's trap….."

She trailed off nervously at his solemn sigh. For a terrible moment, he said nothing, eying her sternly.

Then the corners of his mouth quirked upward. "You were supposed to save yourself," he chided. "Don't you _ever_ do what you're told?"

She was almost too relieved to mind Kal's gentle teasing. Almost.

Lifting her chin, she shot back defiantly through a haze of tears, "You _have_ met me, haven't you?"

The smile that spread across Kal's face suddenly made the room seem much brighter. "How could I forget?"

"Don't ever do it again," she replied tartly, drinking in that smile.

Arms outstretched, she started forward, but the prince blocked her way with a polite cough. "As touching as this reunion is, I'm afraid we have other things to discuss," he said coolly. Taking firm hold of her shoulders, he pushed her, lightly but insistently, further away from Kal.

She could see Kal try to follow, but at the first step, he swayed, closing his eyes as if fighting off a wave of dizziness. His handsome face was now so white that it could have been carved from alabaster.

Obviously, spending an entire night under the poisonous rocks had taken its toll. Worriedly, Chloe watched him struggle to stay upright.

Before she could slip away, the prince grabbed her by her right arm; she tugged furiously to free herself, but Alexander only grinned and tightened his hold.

Breathlessly, she glared up at him. "I hope you're proud of yourself."

"Oh, I am, my lady. In fact, I'm enjoying this," he replied lightly as he glanced down at her heaving chest.

For the first time, Chloe was grateful that her tunic fit her like a potato sack. Still, from the prince's appreciative smirk, she had the uneasy feeling that his sharp eyes were taking in far too much.

Lifting her chin, she cleared her throat loudly, forcing his eyes upward. "That makes one of us, Your Highness," she shot back icily.

A low growl rose from the other side of the cell. Kal had stopped swaying and now stood glowering at Alexander's back. If it hadn't been for the rocks, Chloe was sure that the prince would have been a royal cinder in a matter of seconds.

Withou even bothering to turn around, Alexander laughed, and his head dipped so close to hers that she could feel his breath on her cheek. "I love a challenge," he murmured, looking into her eyes.

To her dismay, Chloe felt her own breath coming faster. Looking away quickly, she caught a glimpse of Kal scowling as he took a step toward them. Anxious to keep him from picking a fight with the prince in his weakened state, she reached around Alexander with her free arm and tried to wave him off behind the prince's back.

Sadly, his stint in solitary confinement hadn't improved Kal's sense of self-preservation. Ignoring her, he half-staggered forward and shot out his hand to grab at hers for support. In the dim light, the chain of golden butterflies on his wrist gleamed dully as his fingers almost, but not quite, brushed hers.

In the same instant, the ring on Chloe's hand flashed like white fire, striking emerald sparks off Kal's widened eyes. Startled, he snatched his hand back reflexively; as he did, the three small crystals immediately went dark. Blinking at Chloe in surprise, he steadied himself and reached for her again.

Quick as thought, Alexander whirled and caught his wrist, holding it in a viselike grip while his eyes bored into Kal's. Horrified, Chloe watched Kal throw back his head and scream in agony.

On the prince's hand, a faceted ring bathed Kal's face in a too-familiar shade of sickly green. Chloe's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of the large cut stone, the color of seawater, set into the band.

She felt her stomach turn. "Let him go!" she gasped.

She yanked desperately to free her arm, but the prince's long fingers dug into her upper arm like the talons of a hawk, pinning her to his side. The harder she struggled, the harder he squeezed.

Her screams mingled with Kal's as the prince shoved Kal backwards, sending him crashing to the floor. Alexander watched with a vaguely regretful expression.

"Now that we understand each other," he said, a note of steel creeping into his voice as he waved the glowing ring at his prisoner, "perhaps we can move on to more interesting matters."

Biting her lip, Chloe tried to push aside the nausea from her throbbing upper arm so that she could think clearly. Lara's crystals had reacted to Kal, but it looked as if he needed to be very close for them to work. That must have been what Jor-El had meant when he'd told her to bring the ring to Kal.

_Easy for him to say_, she thought ruefully.

At least, she reflected, watching Kal drag himself back to his feet on the far side of the cell, there was one thing in their favor. The prince had turned a second too late to catch the brief flash from the crystals.

Her royal captor, who was intently following Kal's every move, had eased his grip on her slightly. She eyed him, knowing that she had to wait for the right moment, and praying that it would come soon.

Kal, grimacing, drew himself up to his full height and glared at Alexander. "You said you had something to discuss," he prompted, although from the dangerous gleam in his eye, talking was the last thing on Kal's mind.

Alexander lifted one hairless brow, coolly deflecting Kal's smouldering stare. "Actually, it's more of a question."

Kal eyed the prince suspiciously. "Which is…..?"

"Why did you pick this world to conquer?"

Chloe sucked in an apprehensive breath. The last thing they needed was for Kal to play true confessions with the prince. Nothing he could say was likely to convince Alexander that he wasn't a threat—especially since, to tell the truth, he was.

"Why is that so important?" she asked sharply.

Alexander answered without looking away from Kal. "I've always known there was a plan behind that firestorm. I'd like you to tell me what it was."

Kal, Chloe noticed worriedly, was swaying again. The effort of standing up, even for a few minutes, had obviously drained him. Unsteadily, he backed up against the cell wall and leaned against the slimy stones for support, closing his eyes wearily. "Whatever I say, you wouldn't believe me," he countered faintly.

"In this case," Alexander replied, "honesty could be mutually beneficial."

Kal looked as mystified as Chloe felt at this cryptic remark.

Alexander's gaze went from one to the other. "I've always appreciated honesty—in other people," he added dryly. "Especially in a potential ally."

Eyes widening, Chloe finally realized what Alexander was getting at. And whichever way Kal responded, she thought with foreboding, this conversation wasn't going to end well.

"Ally?" Kal echoed, his shadowed eyes regarding Alexander from under a sweat-dampened forehead.

"You have power, and I know how to use it." Alexander said, lowering his voice persuasively. "Together, we would be unstoppable."

Darting a cautious glance in the direction of the cell door, he added, barely above a whisper, "Whatever you want, I'd see that you get it, as long as you do the same for me."

"And what _do_ you want?" Chloe asked, dreading the answer.

It came without hesitation. "Help me overthrow my father, and we both could rule in his place."

Chloe stared up at the prince's cool profile with grudging admiration. Already, Alexander had figured out a way around Gabriel's well-meaning interference. He was nothing if not resourceful.

"I thought you said last night that this kingdom wasn't big enough for two masters?" she challenged quickly.

Alexander gave her a look that was half-amused and half-respectful. "You have an impressive memory. But since then, as you know, circumstances have changed. Kal's usefulness just increased, and so did the price I'm willing to pay for his help."

And that, Chloe realized, was probably true. Leo's recovery had narrowed the prince's options considerably, leaving Kal as his best—and, maybe, only—hope of regaining power. The question was, would Kal be willing to take the bait the prince was dangling in front of him?

Kal was looking at him skeptically. "If you set me free, what makes you think I wouldn't take the kingdom for myself?"

The smile on Alexander's face was disturbingly smug. "I'm sure that would never happen—as long as your lovely bride here remains my honored guest."

Inwardly, Chloe sighed as Alexander confirmed her suspicions about her hostage status. Why did her most depressing guesses always turn out to be true?

"And don't forget," the prince cautioned, "I have a rather extensive private collection of cursed rocks. I've found many creative uses for them, I assure you." Darkly, he added, "None of which would be pleasant for you to discover, if you and I parted ways."

If that was a bluff, it was a good one, especially since neither she nor Kal had any way of calling him on it. Swallowing nervously, Chloe watched her mate think over Alexander's offer.

The prince waited a moment, then asked, with a hint of impatience, "What do you say?"

Kal struggled to push himself upright and faced the prince, dropping his hands from the wall. In spite of his drawn expression, his voice held no trace of hesitation. "The answer is no."

For a moment, Chloe forget that they were both still in deadly danger. At Kal's firm rejection, her spirits rose like a sail, and she couldn't help flashing him a proud smile.

At once he broke into a grin that made every one of her nerve endings tingle with pleasure. "I guess I wasn't cut out to be a conqueror," he said to her, softly.

In the middle of the dank prison cell, Chloe felt an insane urge to shout for joy. She wondered who was going to break the news to Jor-El that his son had—finally—said out loud what she'd waited so long to hear.

If Kal didn't want to do it, she'd happily volunteer.

The prince didn't bother trying to hide his disbelief. "So what _are_ you cut out for? Destroying crops with fireballs from the sky? Is that what your people do for fun?"

Kal slumped back against the wall, and his expression darkened. "My people don't exist any more," he replied quietly. "My world was destroyed."

In the silence that followed, Chloe peered up to see Alexander studying his prisoner closely, his face unreadable. "I suppose you want me to say I'm sorry," he said finally. "But to tell the truth, I envy you."

He ignored Kal's shocked reaction. "Destruction is always regrettable," he said, dismissing the suffering and death of unimaginable numbers of people with a single elegant shrug, "but it's left you as a god among men. You have virtually limitless power."

Kal flushed angrily. "Power? Is that all you care about?"

The prince arched his brows. "I admit, it's fairly high up on my list. I take it that it isn't on yours?"

"All I want to do is help people," came the prompt response. "If I can."

Alexander actually chuckled. "Then you're a fool," he said genially. "People never appreciate help. What they really need is a ruler with a firm hand."

Kal's anger had sapped what little strength he'd had. Groaning, he hung his head wearily and slid lower against the wall.

Alexander pursed his lips and shook his head at him. "You surprise me, Kal. I never expected a god to be so naïve. Do you really think anyone would thank you for your high ideals?"

"I don't care," Kal replied in a tired voice. "This is the only home I've ever known. I'd give my life to protect it, and everyone in it." He raised his head and looked up at the prince, then struggled to push himself upright, managing a weak smile. "Even you, Alexander."

Personally, Chloe wasn't ready to go quite that far, but even so, her heart burst with pride. As impressive as Kal had been as a demigod, he made an even better hero.

If the prince was taken aback at Kal's use of his given name, he gave no sign. Instead, he surveyed his prisoner for what seemed like forever with a thoughtful look in his pale eyes.

He smiled thinly as the look was replaced by a cynical gleam. "I underestimated you, Kal," he remarked. "That little piece of evasion would put even my father to shame." His smile widened. "Did you think I wouldn't notice that you never answered my question about the firestorm?"

_Uh-oh_, Chloe thought, feeling his grip on her arm tighten. Alexander, she knew, was about to lay down his trump card.

"If you prefer to play your own game, you leave me with no choice." The prince pulled Chloe forward slightly. "Join me, or your lady takes a one-way trip to my deepest dungeon."

Kal's eyes were twin pools of horror. Chloe looked at him, barely managing to keep her voice steady. "Say no, Kal. Please."

"I wouldn't take that advice if I were you," the prince told him, digging his fingers more deeply into her skin.

Her heart sank as she watched Kal's resolve crumble. Reading the defeat in his face, Alexander turned to her with an expression that, strangely, seemed faintly disappointed. "So much for 'helping,'" he commented in an acid-edged tone. But," he went on in a brighter voice, "I'm glad that's settled. It would have been a shame to shut you away."

The knowing look returned to his face as he surveyed her and Chloe, in spite of herself, felt a quiver at the obvious admiration in that gaze. "The palace will be much more enjoyable with you in it."

Then she shifted her eyes to see Kal's head sagging onto his shoulders, his strength totally spent, and the unwelcome warmth she'd felt turned into pure fury. Her jaw set, she spun around without stopping to think, drew back the tip of her heavy leather page's boot, and, with all her might, kicked the prince in the shin.

An outraged snarl exploded from Alexander, and he loosened his hold just enough for her to slip away to Kal's side.

Dimly, she heard the prince shout for the guards as she faced her soulmate and offered him her hand. Wordlessly, he took it.

At once three miniature suns burst to life on her finger, flooding the cell with a radiance that should have been blinding, but, somehow, wasn't. As the glow intensified, everything around them disappeared, leaving them alone in a cocoon of light.

As Kal bent over her, she saw, to her relief, that the color had returned to his cheeks. He was searching her face with a look of total amazement. "You saved my life," he said softly.

Chloe wasn't sure where they were, but, for the moment, she didn't care. They were together, and that was all that mattered.

She lifted their joined hands. On hers, the ring had now grown back into a bracelet; it hung loosely on her finger, close to the chain of butterflies on Kal's wrist. As the crystals flashed against them, their golden wings seemed to take flight.

"I had a little help from Lara," she smiled.

His answering grin was, blessedly, 100% healthy Kal. With his free hand, he took the bracelet off her finger and slid it onto her wrist, letting his fingers linger over the spot where it rested. His thumb trailed lazily over her pulse point, sending warm shivers through her body.

His expression turned solemn. "I can tell she'd want you to have this," he whispered. "And that's where it will stay, for as long as we live."

Briefly, Chloe once again had a vision of the slender lady who'd stood with a baby on a balcony in a city that had long ago vanished. But this time, the baby was gone, and the lady was no longer sad. As the vision faded she looked straight at Chloe, her large eyes sparkling.

Recovering, Chloe felt a slight tingle and then, inexplicably, the touch of something smooth, soft and heavy against her skin. She blinked up at Kal, who was staring at her in openmouthed amazement.

"What?" she said, following his gaze downward, and did a double-take.

She was wearing the magnificent white silk wedding gown that Jor-El had insisted on giving her when she'd first arrived at the Fortress. It seemed to have survived its unscheduled dunking in Kal's garden pool without much damage; the only difference was in the gold brocade trim, which formerly had been studded with pearls. Now, in their place, brilliant sapphires nestled in with the gold everywhere but the neckline. There, as before, an "S"-shaped crest was embroidered in blazing rubies.

Next to her, Kal had undergone a wardrobe change too, having discarded his royal livery for yet another blue tunic. Unlike his usual peasant's outfit, though, this one was woven of finest cotton, and emblazoned on its front in red and gold was the same "S" symbol that she wore.

Chloe couldn't help laughing. "I guess Lara likes fancy dress just as much as Jor-El."

Kal hadn't let go of her hand. "You look beautiful," he murmured, drawing her closer.

Chloe put her other hand on top of both of his, and for a moment, all four hands interlocked, they drank in the sight of each other silently. Looking into those hazel eyes, Chloe saw again the earnest, teasing young boy she'd stumbled across in a forest so many springtimes ago, with whom she'd fallen in love at first sight.

Some things, she thought dreamily, never changed.

His head dipped closer to hers just as the glow began to fade. Noticing that the gems on her gown now reflected only ordinary daylight, Chloe jerked her own head away from his.

"What happened to the cell?" she demanded, only half-hearing the frustrated noise he made, and inspected their surroundings curiously.

They were still standing on top of the prison tower, but the dark pile of rocks in which Kal had been imprisoned had disappeared, leaving only an open platform flooded with bright sunshine. Likewise, there was no sign of any poisonous green stones.

At the other end of the platform stood Alexander, eying them warily, with the prison guards huddled behind him as if for protection. His ring, Chloe noticed, had disappeared, and the sharp stones at the tips of the guards' spears now shone clear, as if stripped of their toxic power.

Kal dropped Chloe's hands and turned to face the prince. As he took a step forward, the guards broke and ran, so fast that some lost their footing on the tower steps and slid down rear-end-first.

Alexander held his ground. "Obviously, I underestimated you both," he said calmly. "What now?"

Kal only smiled and shook his head. "You have nothing to fear from me."

Alexander stared back at him stonily. "For the moment, perhaps." Eyes narrowed, he took in Kal's change of clothes. "Nice outfit. Rather showy crest for someone who claims to have simple tastes, though, isn't it?"

His voice hardened. "This isn't over, Kal."

He leveled an ice-blue glare at his adversary, who returned it steadily. Neither man moved a muscle.

Feeling the tension build, Chloe decided that now would be a good time to take their leave. "Come on, Kal!" she sang out, kicking up her ample skirts and hopping onto a stone battlement. Poised on the tower's edge far above the surrounding countryside, she grinned back at him over her shoulder. "Up, up, and awaaaaaaaaaay….."

Her voice rose into a terrified shriek as she tripped over the hem of her gown and toppled head-first into the void. Her skirt billowed up and pasted itself against her face as she did a sickening mid-air somersault, arms flailing wildly.

The next thing she knew, she was in Kal's arms, spitting out a mouthful of heavy silk. He gathered her closer against his tunic, murmuring reassuringly, and she soaked in his warmth until her trembling stopped.

Finally, she glanced up, rubbing her cheek against the soft cotton. "Nice catch."

In the sunshine, his teasing grin was more dazzling than ever. "Drop in anytime."

They were skimming low to the ground, over tossing heads of young wheat, but at Kal's inquiring look, Chloe nodded, and he shot skyward to reveal a well-tended mosaic of cultivated fields, punctuated here and there with stands of bright crimson poppies, buttercups, and bachelor's buttons. As high up as they were, Chloe could still make out the sharp outlines of individual blades and petals in the clear morning air.

Off in the distance, Chloe glimpsed a few fluffy white shapes grazing peacefully in a pasture. "That reminds me," she said, pointing. "We'd better check on Dad."

As Kal obligingly changed course and headed for the palace, she added, "It's about time you two met."

Kal's lack of response was lost on Chloe, who was distracted by the bustle in the courtyard below. An excited crowd of nobles and servants was gathering in the center of the square, all eyes fixed on them as they circled downward.

Above them, on a balcony carved with the royal crest, she saw Lana, wrapped in a dove-gray dressing gown, her small mouth twisted into a scowl as she followed their progress. Underneath her amethyst-encrusted circlet, a single furrow marred her perfect forehead.

Ignoring her, Chloe searched through the mob anxiously until, off to one side, she glimpsed a familiar black-clad figure emerging from the colonnade bordering the king's apartments.

She beamed and waved. "Dad!" Craning his neck, Gabriel smiled and waved back.

Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, she caught the fluttering of gray sleeves as Lana quietly disappeared back into her apartments. She and the prince, Chloe mused with grim satisfaction, would have a lot to talk about later.

No sooner had Kal set Chloe down than she rushed forward (careful, this time, to lift the hem of her gown well away from her feet), and fell into her father's waiting arms.

"You did it," he whispered into her ear, and kissed her cheek.

"_We_ did it," she corrected, hugging him more tightly. Behind her, Kal cleared his throat.

Pulling away from her father, Chloe took her bridegroom's hand and tugged him closer. As he stepped forward, with a broad grin, she saw Gabriel's jaw sag.

"_You_!" he burst out incredulously, and ran his eyes up and down Kal's tall figure, taking in the crest proudly emblazoned on his blue tunic. "The outfit's different, but I'd never forget that smile."

At first, Chloe thought he was talking about the momentary glimpse he'd had of Kal in the courtyard, but at the slightly guilty expression on her mate's face, she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. Kal met her inquiring stare and had the grace to look abashed. "We, er, bumped into each other yesterday."

From one side, Chloe heard her father quickly stifle a laugh. "You never told me," she said accusingly.

Kal's grin, impossible as it seemed, got brighter. "I'm glad I could keep at least one secret from you."

Gabriel interrupted, casting a wry glance at his daughter. "Don't count on _that_ happening twice."

The two men Chloe loved most in the world exchanged a knowing look. "You're telling _me_," Kal replied, with such heartfelt conviction that Chloe stamped her foot in mock outrage.

But as she looked into those twinkling emerald eyes, she already could feel the corners of her mouth tugging upwards. "Hmmph. Well, don't let it go to your head."

Meanwhile, they'd attracted even more onlookers, all staring in awed silence at the god in the blue tunic. The circle surrounding them was at least four deep, and growing by the minute.

Kal gave them all a friendly smile and looked back at Chloe, holding out his arms. "Time for us to go, I think."

"You'll be back, won't you?" Gabriel asked anxiously. He turned to Chloe. "There's someone I think you'd like to meet." Bending closer, he added, with a significant look, "He just bought the town printing press."

Both of Chloe's brows shot up. Gabriel definitely had her attention now.

But before she could ask any questions, Kal scooped her into his arms, and her resistance melted at the warmth in his eyes. "Later," he said firmly as they rose into the air, serenaded by the oohs and aahs of the crowd. "Right now, I'm taking my bride home."

Minutes later, secure in his embrace, she leaned forward eagerly and surveyed the tiny farms and villages slipping away below without a trace of fear. "How far is it to the Fortress?"

Lightly as a feather, his touch guided her closer to him, and he cupped a hand over her head to shelter her from the strengthening wind. Gradually, they picked up speed, although by Kal's standards they were still going in slow motion. "Nothing's far for me."

Smiling, she glanced up at him, grateful that he'd given her a chance to admire the view, and even more grateful that she was finally able to see what Kal looked like when he flew. Peering intently into the distance, eyes bright, he reminded her of an eagle.

He'd probably looked exactly the same way when he'd swooped down to the king's audience chamber to bring her to the Fortress. And, she thought proudly, he'd look just as impressive to all the people he was going to help in years to come.

As Kal flew faster, his hand pressed her closer into the hollow of his shoulder, and the world blurred around them. Sensing that he was every bit as impatient as she was to start their new life together, Chloe relaxed against him contentedly. "By the way, I never thanked you for saving my life, back there."

His voice was soft against her cheek. "You don't have to."

"Why not?" she whispered back, closing her eyes as the wind whipped her hair into a froth.

The last thing she heard before the world disappeared completely was his low reply. "Because you _are_ my life."


	19. Epilogue

**Of Gods and Butterflies**

**By Carcassi**

**Epilogue**

A pair of large, limpid eyes gazed at Chloe adoringly as she lounged next to the pool in Kal's Fortress garden, which he and Jor-El had restored soon after their return. Having traded her ornate gown for a much more comfortable blue satin robe, she trailed her fingers lazily over her companion's head while making small, contented noises.

"You're irresistible," she purred.

"Are you talking to me or the fish?" a plaintive voice asked from above.

Chloe tilted her head toward Kal, who was standing over her wearing a wry expression, and lifted her hand from the water.

At once the soft brown eyes of the catfish-like creature in the pool turned mildly reproachful. Apparently hurt by Chloe's short attention span, its long glistening body submerged in stages; first its head, then the single tall fin on its back, and last of all, its tail, which flipped high in the air a few yards out and disappeared with barely a ripple on the pool's shining surface.

"The fish, of course," she declared archly as he knelt down on the mossy bank next to her. "He's a better listener."

Kal, too, had changed back into plainer clothes, and looked happier for it; his dark blue farm leggings and pomegranate-red overshirt obviously suited him much better than the princely crest-emblazoned outfit he'd recently shed. Smiling at her, he held out two cupped palms filled with a pile of spongy, golden globs, each one roughly the size of a robin's egg. "Maybe I should give these to him, then, instead of you."

She wrinkled her nose doubtfully at the quivery little balls and his smile grew wider. "They're really good, trust me. I learned how to make them as a kid—just a little honey, plus the sap from that plant," he said, nodding at a stand of pink blossoms flowering along the poolside. "It's called a marsh mallow."

She took one, nibbling at it tentatively, and a burst of sweetness like nothing she'd ever tasted spread through her mouth. She wolfed down the rest, disregarding Kal's indulgent chuckle, and reached for another. "Farmer Kent, you've outdone yourself," she grinned.

There was a small splash, and she blinked as a few warm droplets rained down on her head. Glancing down at the water, she saw that her friend had turned up again, fin sticking straight up above the surface as he flipped his tail back and forth and eyed the treat in her hand expectantly.

"Hey," she said, laughing. "Aren't you supposed to be an illusion? Since when does a mirage have a sweet tooth?"

Kal gave her a sidewise look as he held out one of the gooey blobs of goodness to the creature, who gobbled it up quickly and waved his approval with his tail. "Actually, he _is_ real," Kal told her. "You liked him so much, I searched everywhere until I found him. I have no idea how he got here from my planet, but it looks as if I'm not the only refugee from Krypton."

For a moment, both of them stroked the big creature's smooth, ugly head in silence. Then Chloe dimpled, unable to resist temptation. "I'm glad," she remarked airily, lifting another treat from Kal's hands, "that they sent _someone_ with intelligence."

The next thing she knew, she was underwater with Kal's arms wrapped around her. They both shot to the surface and Chloe sucked in a few breaths, shaking the water from her eyes and trying her best to glare at the smug expression on her husband's face.

It was no use. Wrapping both arms around his neck, she collapsed against him, laughing, as her finned friend circled around them excitedly.

The last time he'd dunked her, it had been in pitch blackness; now, surrounded by the brilliant colors of countless blossoms, she could see the droplets stream down Kal's golden skin as he gathered her closer, looked in her eyes, and bent down to kiss her.

As enjoyable that other time had been, this was much, much better.

Eventually, she was the one who broke off to catch her breath, while Kal fondled a few strands of her wet hair. From the sugary sweetness on her lips, she guessed that Kal had sampled a few marsh mallows too; she licked her mouth, savoring the taste.

"By the way," he said, cupping her chin, one thumb lightly tracing a pattern along her jawline, "Jor-El and your father must really have hit it off. He's invited 'Gabe-Ri-El' for a visit."

Chloe, who'd been purring contentedly under his touch, arched her brows in surprise. "Are you sure it's a good idea? After all," she went on, leaning into his hand and rubbing her cheek against the warm surface of his huge, outstretched palm, "look at what happened to me."

With his other hand, Kal reached towards his shoulder to capture her wrist, patting the bracelet that had joined their lives together. "Which only proves," he smiled, "that change can be wonderful."

His honeyed lips brushed hers again, making her shudder in pleasure. "Or don't you agree?" he murmured.

"Mmmmm," she said hazily, then gasped as he darted closer to nibble her earlobe. "Let me think."

"Don't think too much," Kal rumbled as his arms tightened around her. Slowly, they rose from the pool, accompanied by the sounds of vigorous splashing from the companion they were leaving behind. "We have other things to do."

Chloe, feeling his body press against hers provocatively, couldn't have agreed more. Summoning the last shreds of coherent thought, she closed the subject. "Let's ask Dad when we see him tomorrow. He might enjoy it, now that Jor-El's mellowed a little."

"At least Jor-El's quit ordering me to conquer the world," Kal agreed as they floated gently over to the warmest part of the garden, where tall branchless trees bent gracefully over fragrant hibiscus and her beloved _caffe_ bushes. "That's a step in the right direction."

Hearing the doubtful note in his voice, Chloe tore her attention away from the delightful things he was doing elsewhere, and looked up at him quizzically. "But what?"

Kal's cheeks reddened. "He still wants me to wear that ridiculous costume."

Chloe felt a wicked smile spread across her face. "Oh, I don't know," she teased. "Tight clothes look good on you."

"I am _not_ wearing red underwear!" Kal said, jutting out his lower lip. "I don't care how Kryptonian it is!"

Chloe, seeing the stubborn set of his jaw, stifled a laugh and drew his head down for another kiss. It would be interesting to see which El won this battle, but she was willing to wait to find out. After all, they had plenty of time. They had all the time in the world.

Reacting eagerly to her touch, Kal set his mouth against hers, hard, as they drifted down through a cloud of iridescent butterflies toward a soft rise carpeted with wild clover. Bodies entwined, they landed softly and continued where they'd left off.

As they did, the butterflies circled over them, glittering like a star-studded, living canopy.

************

"This is where Dad said to meet us," Chloe announced as she and Kal turned into the busy street. "The corner of Ink Alley and"—her eyes squinted to read the hand-lettered sign tacked onto the half-timbered workshop nearby—"Lois Lane."

At the front of the workshop, Gabriel was signaling to them. Kal waved back, pushing through the noonday market goers to get to the spot where he stood. Over him swung a wooden sign shaped like a quill pen, on which was carved the words "Peregrine & Clark, Printers."

"Glad you could make it," her father said, beaming at them both. "The new senior partner here wants to start a town newsletter, and he could use an apprentice. I've told him all about you. Are you still interested?" He cast a hesitant glance in Kal's direction. "I'll understand if the answer is no."

At the word "newsletter," Chloe's head had jerked up. She gave her father an incredulous grin. "Dad, how can you ask? If this person wants to print the truth for everyone to read, count me in."

Kal took her hand, smiling. "Count us _both_ in," he said firmly to Gabriel.

Her father's face relaxed back into a grin. "Then come on in and meet him."

Through the open shop window, they heard someone bellowing for more ink, and Gabriel winced slightly. "That's him. Don't worry; his bark is worse than his bite." He paused. "Oh, and, by the way, _don't_ call him 'Peregrine.' It's a family name, and he hates it."

Gabriel cracked open the heavy oak door and stuck his head inside. "Perry? May we come in?" When the same unseen person grunted an affirmative, he disappeared into the shop.

Kal's green eyes shone as he smiled at Chloe. "After you, Soulmate."

They crossed the threshold, hand in hand.

************

_"And they lived happily, ever after."_

Gabriel shut the leather-bound book and raised his head to survey the rapt audience gathered around him by the fireplace in the living room of the large farmhouse. In the far corner, an aged television was on with the sound turned down.

"Time to go to bed," he added, trying his best to sound stern as he eyed the hopeful looks on the faces of the three young children seated on the carpet at his feet.

All three protested at once, and the youngest added, "Can we hear it again, Grandpa?

"Or maybe just the short version?" asked another, who was obviously better at wheedling than his younger sister.

He chuckled under his breath, since he _had_ given them the shortened—and extremely edited—version. He knew it by heart; of course, after all these years, he knew _every_ version of it by heart.

"I promised your parents you'd be in bed an hour ago," he reminded them, to a chorus of groans.

The oldest had turned his attention to the television, which showed a grand ballroom crowded with the well-dressed cream of Metropolis society. "Hey, it's Aunt Lois and Uncle Clark!" he burst out, scrambling to his feet to switch on the volume.

Gabriel nodded, proudly watching as a brunette in crimson stepped onto a raised dais and shook the hand of the emcee behind the podium. Next to her stood a tall man in a tuxedo wearing thick glasses that, Gabriel knew, he didn't need at all.

The announcer's voice crackled from the old set. "_Tonight_, s_tar_ Daily Planet _reporters Lois Lane and Clark Kent accepted their joint Pulitzer for an investigation into illegal practices at LuthorCorp. Earlier, Lana Luthor, speaking on behalf of imprisoned LuthorCorp CEO Lex Luthor, continued to deny all charges."_

Gabriel's eyes grew misty as he watched the glittering party guests toast his daughter and son-in-law. Except for the hair, she looked very much the same as she had at the prince's banquet. So much had happened since then, but to him, it all seemed like yesterday.

No matter how much Metropolis and the rest of the world had changed, one thing never would: As long as people needed truth and justice, a certain former demigod and his bride would be there to fight for them.

And as long as they were there, he would be, too.

"_In an unforeseen glitch to the ceremony,"_ the announcer continued, _"the guest of honor, Superman, was called away before he could greet the star reporting duo. He sent his regrets."_

"But Grandpa," cut in the youngest girl, leveling curious green eyes upward and shaking her blonde curls in a perfect imitation of his younger daughter, "what happened to Kal and Chloe? Did they ever fight the prince again? Did they ever have kids?"

Gabriel looked down into the wide eyes of his great, great, many-times-great granddaughter and broke into a grin, knowing that one day, when she was older, she wouldn't have to ask. "Ah," he said, mischievously, "that's _another_ story."


End file.
